What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Oleate
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV AbsorberC12-16 Alcohols
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantBorago Officinalis Extract
EmollientBiosaccharide Gum-2
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCyclomethicone
EmollientLanolin
EmollientButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV AbsorberAscorbyl Glucoside
AntioxidantGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientHydrolyzed Soy Protein
HumectantHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningUbiquinone
AntioxidantHydroxydecyl Ubiquinone
AntioxidantPalmitic Acid
EmollientThioctic Acid
AntioxidantPhytic Acid
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningSodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan
Lactic Acid
BufferingSerine
MaskingSodium Lactate
BufferingSorbitol
HumectantUrea
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantTripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Alcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientBenzoic Acid
MaskingImidazolidinyl Urea
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativePropylparaben
PreservativeEthylparaben
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Decyl Oleate, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, C12-16 Alcohols, Glycerin, Borago Officinalis Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-2, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cyclomethicone, Lanolin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Phospholipids, Ubiquinone, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, Palmitic Acid, Thioctic Acid, Phytic Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan, Lactic Acid, Serine, Sodium Lactate, Sorbitol, Urea, Tocopherol, Tripeptide-1, Allantoin, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Alcohol Denat., Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Benzoic Acid, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSqualane
EmollientJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin ConditioningIsosorbide Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
SmoothingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Eos
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantXylitylglucoside
HumectantAnhydroxylitol
HumectantBetaine
HumectantXylitol
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
EmollientGlucose
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantSqualene
EmollientPhytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantPolyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientBehenic Acid
CleansingSodium Carrageenan
Emulsion StabilisingSea Salt
AbrasiveXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlgin
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingCeteareth-25
CleansingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingSorbic Acid
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Betaine, Xylitol, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Esters, Glucose, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Saccharide Isomerate, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Anisate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenic Acid, Sodium Carrageenan, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum, Algin, Carbomer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Ceteareth-25, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic 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.
Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 HyaluronateTocopherol 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 TocopherolTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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