What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Annona Cherimola Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Lecithin
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Biphenyl Azepanyl Methanone
Skin ConditioningPhenylpropanol
Masking
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Annona Cherimola Fruit Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Panthenol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Bisabolol, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Citric Acid, Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Biphenyl Azepanyl Methanone, Phenylpropanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Biotin, Ceramide EOP
Zinc Oxide 20.8%
Cosmetic Colorant
Water
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
CI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Iron Oxides
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningMica
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
Masking
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc Oxide 20.8%, Water, Allantoin, Ascorbic Acid, Bisabolol, CI 77163, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Caffeine, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Iron Oxides, Jojoba Esters, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Mica, Parfum, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Silica, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Titanium Dioxide, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololCitric 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 GlycerinSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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 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
