What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf Extract
AstringentSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium EDTA
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Carbomer, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Bark/Leaf Extract, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phenoxyethanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium EDTA, Benzophenone-4, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Methylparaben
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract
Abrasive
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Isohexadecane, Isopropyl Myristate, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Methylparaben, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Opuntia Ficus-Indica Flower Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Litchi Chinensis Pericarp Extract, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCarbomer 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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
