What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Olive Oil Glycereth-8 Esters
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCoconut Alkanes
Emollient
Malassezin
Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Silica
Abrasive
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Phytate
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycerin, Olive Oil Glycereth-8 Esters, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Coconut Alkanes, Malassezin, Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Bisabolol, Carnosine, Tocopherol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Silica, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Phytate, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventHydrolyzed Eruca Sativa Leaf
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Acetyl Zingerone
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Glycine
CleansingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPlantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialDiglucosyl Gallic Acid
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan
CleansingEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Hydrolyzed Eruca Sativa Leaf, Glycerin, Zea Mays Starch, Cetearyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acetyl Zingerone, Palmitoyl Glycine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Caprylate, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Squalane, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Ergothioneine, Punica Granatum Extract, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, PPG-12/Smdi Copolymer, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethyl Isosorbide is a low-irritation solvent that helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from glucose.
Research shows how well this ingredient works depends on the active and formulation rather than the concentration alone. This means adding more Dimethyl Isosorbide does not guarantee better penetration of ingredients into the skin.
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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol 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
