What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingNiacinamide
SmoothingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientAscorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
AntioxidantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPiroctone Olamine
PreservativeGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHyaluronic Acid
HumectantMel
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAcetum
Potassium Sorbate
PreservativeVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Persea Gratissima Oil, Lactic Acid, Niacinamide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Squalane, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Panthenol, Piroctone Olamine, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Hyaluronic Acid, Mel, Allantoin, Glycerin, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Acetum, Potassium Sorbate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Parfum, Tocopherol, Humulus Lupulus Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCoco-Caprylate
EmollientPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingTriethanolamine
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantPropanediol
SolventErythritol
HumectantLecithin
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientCitrus Glauca Fruit Extract
HumectantHibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCyclohexane
SolventEthyl Acetate
PerfumingAphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract
HumectantGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Hybrid Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Coco-Caprylate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Benzyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Propanediol, Erythritol, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Cyclohexane, Ethyl Acetate, Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Helianthus Annuus Seed 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.
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 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 StearatePotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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