What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Boswellia Sacra Resin Oil
Emollient
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Commiphora Myrrha Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Cetearyl Olivate, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Levulinic Acid, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Anisate, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopherol, Boswellia Sacra Resin Oil, Sodium Levulinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Commiphora Myrrha Oil, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Phyllostachys Bambusoides Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingBetaine
Humectant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningScrophularia Nodosa Extract
Skin ConditioningPhyllostachys Bambusoides Juice
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract
Antimicrobial
Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Equisetum Giganteum Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Gluconolactone, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Squalane, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Propanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Arginine, Phyllostachys Bambusoides Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Chloride, Betaine, Zinc PCA, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Polygonatum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Scrophularia Nodosa Extract, Phyllostachys Bambusoides Juice, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Capsicum Annuum Fruit Extract, Dioscorea Villosa Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Kigelia Africana Fruit Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Equisetum Giganteum Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Bisabolol, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Citronellol
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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopherol 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
