What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Sprout
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPyrus Malus Pulp Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Aloe Barbadensis Sprout, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Squalane, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Dimethyl Sulfone, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Allantoin, Piroctone Olamine, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Panthenol, Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Pyrus Malus Pulp Extract, Tocopherol, Humulus Lupulus Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate
Emollient
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialAloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder
Skin Conditioning
Water, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract, Coco-Caprylate, Alpha-Arbutin, Stearic Acid, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, Piroctone Olamine, Allantoin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholWe don't have a description for Humulus Lupulus Extract yet.
Hydrolyzed Milk Protein is milk protein that has been broken down into smaller peptide fragments and amino acids. It has skin conditioning properties.
One manufacturer study found Hydrolyzed Milk Protein increased skin hydration immediately and cumulatively in rinse-off applications.
The most robust research comes from the individual milk protein components; a 2023 study found whey proteins stimulated fibroblasts to produce more collagen I, elastin, and glycosaminoglycans while protecting skin from breaking down.
Be sure to avoid or patch test if you have a dairy allergy.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Milk ProteinPiroctone Olamine is a synthetic antifungal and preservative ingredient.
Its main job is to keep the yeast, Malassezia, in check; this yeast is linked to dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, and fungal acne (a.k.a. Malassezia folliculitis).
The way it works is pretty neat:
It slips into the fungal cell and grabs onto iron ions that the yeast needs for its energy metabolism; this basically starves it out. But the full mechanism isn't 100% pinned down and some research also points it to interfering with ergosterol (a building block of the fungal cell membrane).
Besides antifungal action, it also has mild anti-inflammatory and soothing effects to help calm itchiness in the scalp.
Typical usage concentrations are low. The EU permits it to be a preservative up to 1% in rinse-off products and 0.5% in leave-on products.
Though it's generally well-tolerated, a small number of people may notice itching or irritation (as with any active).
Learn more about Piroctone OlaminePolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Tocopherol 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
