What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Butter
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Antioxidant
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Polyacrylate-13
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientLysolecithin
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Pullulan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Simmondsia Chinensis Butter, Squalane, Propanediol, C12-16 Alcohols, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sclerotium Gum, Palmitic Acid, Polyacrylate-13, Hydrogenated Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Lysolecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum, Arginine, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Silica, Tocopherol, Caramel
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Japonica Seed Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract
UV FilterPoria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningPhragmites Communis Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Betaine
Humectant
Sucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Squalane, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sorbitan Stearate, Pseudozyma Epicola/Camellia Japonica Seed Oil Ferment Extract Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Buddleja Officinalis Flower Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Phragmites Communis Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Betaine, Sucrose Cocoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cellulose Gum, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Pentylene Glycol, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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 Water
