What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSucrose
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycolic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Sucrose, Allantoin, Propanediol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Heptyl Undecylenate
EmollientPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Erythritol
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Morus Alba Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Heptyl Undecylenate, Polyglutamic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Erythritol, Sorbitol, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Beta-Glucan, Panthenol, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Morus Alba Fruit Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Nut Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol
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 AllantoinButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 Glycerin
