What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Polyacrylamide
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Trehalose
Humectant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Polyacrylamide, Sorbitan Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Synthetic Beeswax, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Trehalose, Dimethiconol, Chlorphenesin, Yeast Extract, Carbomer, Laureth-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, C12-14 Pareth-12
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Threonine
Lidocaine Hcl
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Maltose
MaskingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Fructose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylyl Glycol, Arginine, Carnosine, Alanine, Serine, Threonine, Lidocaine Hcl, Tropolone, Proline, Maltose, Allantoin, Glycine, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Fructose, Urea, Betaine, Glucose, Trehalose, Glutamic Acid, PCA, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Chloride, T-Butyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl Olivate is a plant-derived emulsifier and texture enhancer. It helps keep the oil and water phases from separating so your formulas stay stable.
You'll likely see it combined with Sorbitan Olivate (together sold as the trade name Olivem 1000). This combination generates a liquid crystal structure that closely resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum.
These "skin-like" liquid crystals improve skin barrier integrity and promote the delivery of actives into the skin.
This ingredient is well-tolerated and has no significant sensitization data.
Because it is derived from the fatty acids in olive oil, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl OlivateDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin 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 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 HydroxideSorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateTrehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.
As a humectant, trehalose helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Due to its antioxidant properties, trehalose may help with signs of aging. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules, unstable molecules that may damage your skin.
In medicine, trehalose and hyaluronic acid are used to help treat dry eyes.
Some animals, plants, and bacteria create trehalose as a source of energy to survive freeze or lack of water.
Learn more about TrehaloseWater. 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
