What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-25
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-25, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tocopherol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Limonene, Linalool, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77491
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningResveratrol
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice
Emollient
Chondrus Crispus
Masking
Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Collagen
Moisturising
Water
Skin ConditioningNicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Resveratrol, Niacinamide, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Chondrus Crispus, Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Collagen, Water
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
You might know this ingredient as Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, a more stable version of ascorbic acid.
Like other types of vitamin C, this ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid interferes with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. It also encourages the skin to produce more collagen.
Once applied, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid is converted to Vitamin C deeper in the skin's layers. This process is slow but makes this ingredient more tolerable for skin.
The optimum pH range for this ingredient is 4 - 5.5
Learn more about 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic AcidThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil comes from the sweet almond, a tree native to Iran. This oil has no fragrance and is non-volatile.
Almonds contain healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. It is a rich source of Vitamin E, a great antioxidant and skin conditioning ingredient. Sweet almond oil contains fatty acids such as linolenic acid and triglycerides.
The content of sweet almond oil makes it a great emollient; it can help soften and hydrate your skin. Emollients create a barrier over your skin to trap moisture in. Sweet almond oil has antioxidant properties.
Those with an almond allergy should be careful of this ingredient and speak with a professional about using it in your skincare.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis OilTocopherol (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
