What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-8
HumectantMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Citrus Sinensis Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Polyquaternium-7
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Trisodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, PEG-8, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Lauric Acid, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Citrus Sinensis Fruit Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ubiquinone, Polyquaternium-7, Arachidic Acid, Oleic Acid, Cera Alba, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Trisodium EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
Cleansing
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
PEG-90m
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Capric Acid
Cleansing
Silica
Abrasive
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Lauric Acid, Sorbitan Olivate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide Mea, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, PEG-90m, 1,2-Hexanediol, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Capric Acid, Silica, Ascorbic Acid, BHT
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 GlycerinLauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
Learn more about Lauric AcidMyristic Acid is a saturated fatty acid. It is naturally found in milk fat. Other sources include palm oil, coconut oil, and butter fat.
Myristic Acid is an emulsifer and cleanser. As an emulsifer, it stabilizes a product by preventing ingredients from separating. Myristic Acid helps clean your skin by acting as a surfactant. It tends to gather oil and dirt on your skin to be easily rinsed away.
One study from 2021 found Myristic Acid to have anti-inflammatory properties.
Learn more about Myristic AcidPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideSodium 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 HyaluronateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
