What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Tribehenin PEG-20 Esters
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Deschampsia Antarctica Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPalmitoyl Hydroxypropyltrimonium Amylopectin/Glycerin Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningHydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Mannitol
Humectant
Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Phytonadione Epoxide
AstringentCholesterol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-8
HumectantPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
BHA
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Coconut Alkanes, Tribehenin PEG-20 Esters, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tranexamic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Zea Mays Starch, Deschampsia Antarctica Leaf Extract, Retinol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Palmitoyl Hydroxypropyltrimonium Amylopectin/Glycerin Crosspolymer, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Arginine, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Chlorphenesin, Mannitol, Phosphatidylcholine, Glycerin, Phytonadione Epoxide, Cholesterol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, PEG-8, Polysorbate 80, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Tocopherol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, BHT, BHA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol
Bleaching
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Trisodium EDTA
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alcohol Denat., Cocoglycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Diisopropyl Adipate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Lauroyl Lysine, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Trisodium EDTA, Tin Oxide, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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.
Chances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
