What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isododecane
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentPPG-12/Smdi Copolymer
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingDimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentBisabolol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Pandanus Conoideus Fruit Oil
Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Sodium Polyaspartate
HumectantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCellulose
Absorbent
BHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Isododecane, Squalane, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phytosterols, Phenoxyethanol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Tocopherol, Linoleic Acid, Ceramide NP, Cyclodextrin, Bisabolol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinal, Pandanus Conoideus Fruit Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Sodium Polyaspartate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disodium EDTA, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cellulose, BHT, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentylene Glycol, Trihydroxystearin
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetyl Ricinoleate
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
C12-20 Acid PEG-8 Ester
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Sodium Potassium Aluminum Silicate
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-8
Skin Conditioning
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-22
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Oligopeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Medica Limonum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingPyrus Malus Pulp Extract
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Palmitate/Carrot Polypeptide
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-8
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Oleate
CleansingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Silica
Abrasive
Disodium EDTA
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 40800
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Sorbitol, Glycerin, C12-20 Acid PEG-8 Ester, Sorbitan Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Sodium Potassium Aluminum Silicate, Glycolic Acid, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-8, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-11, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Sh-Polypeptide-22, Sh-Oligopeptide-4, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Medica Limonum Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Pulp Extract, Retinyl Palmitate/Carrot Polypeptide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-8, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Oleate, Glycine Soja Oil, Parfum, Limonene, Linalool, Silica, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Benzoic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, CI 40800, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (or glycerol) is a compound naturally found in your skin. It's a powerhouse humectant that pulls water into the stratum corneum.
Topically, glycerin does several things at once:
Your skin makes glycerin on its own (mostly from sebaceous oil breakdown) and shuttles it to your outermost layer of skin, or your epidermis, via aquaporin-3.
Aquaporin-3 is a transporter that is essential for normal skin hydration, elasticity, and repair. Interestingly, mice lacking in AQP3 have dry and less elastic skin that can be fully corrected with glycerin.
This ingredient is non-irritating, plays well with almost every ingredient, and works across all skin types. Typical use is anywhere between 3-10% but can go up to 79% in some leave-on products.
Just know very high concentrations (>40%) can feel tacky in low humidity.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. If you see this, drink a glass of water. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
