What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Tricaprylin
Perfuming
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Soybean Glycerides
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCamellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosa Damascena Extract
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Michelia Alba Leaf Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Tricaprylin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Soybean Glycerides, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Myristyl Myristate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Caffeine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Maltodextrin, Tocopherol, Rosa Damascena Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Michelia Alba Leaf Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Plumeria Rubra Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Linalool, Citronellol, Geraniol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium 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 HydroxideTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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
