What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientVinyldimethicone
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
HumectantLactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Diisostearyl Malate, Vinyldimethicone, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sorbitan Isostearate, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Propanediol, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Polyacrylate
Water
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Egg Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Germ Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Water, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Arbutin, Adenosine, Beeswax, Egg Oil, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Germ Oil, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Aronia Melanocarpa Fruit Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Propolis Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 StearateLavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil. It is considered a fragrancing ingredient.
Lavender imparts a famous scent. While the smell is lovely, this ingredient and may sensitize skin in topical products. This is because about 85% of the oil is made up of linalool and linalyl acetate.
When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.
A study from Japan found this ingredient caused lavender sensitivity after widespread exposure.
Lavender essential oil has some antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the cons of this ingredient may outweight the pros.
More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.
Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia OilWater. 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
