What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
BufferingTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Chrysanthemum Morifolium Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Rice Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
HumectantSaccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Glycerin, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tromethamine, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Chrysanthemum Morifolium Flower Extract, Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
PEG-12
HumectantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Dextran Sulfate
Gel Forming
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Sucrose Stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-12, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 StearatePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolTocopherol 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 Water
