What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingMethyl Glucose Dioleate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPotassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Arginine
Masking
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingCalcium Gluconate
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPolyquaternium-39
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingMyristyl Glucoside
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Isopropyl Palmitate, Sorbitol, Triethylhexanoin, Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Squalane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Saccharomyces Ferment, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Arginine, Oryza Sativa Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Gluconolactone, Zea Mays Starch, Lauryl Glucoside, Calcium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Polyquaternium-39, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Myristyl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyquaternium-51, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientEctoin
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingInulin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Dimethicone, Isohexadecane, Ectoin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Squalane, Sodium Hydroxide, Inulin, Xanthan Gum, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate isn't fungal acne safe.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, itâs technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term âoil-freeâ isnât regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
