What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Amorphophallus Konjac Root
HumectantRetinol
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Tricaprylin
Perfuming
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Roseum Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Sprout
HumectantOcimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Melia Azadirachta Leaf
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Squalane, Glycerin, Bakuchiol, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Amorphophallus Konjac Root, Retinol, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Tricaprylin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Water, Pelargonium Roseum Leaf Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Sprout, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Phospholipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Pantothenic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Aspalathus Linearis Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Retinol, Bakuchiol, Astaxanthin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Extract, Allantoin, Sodium PCA, Phospholipids, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carbomer, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhospholipids are a family of skin-identical lipids that makeup the structural backbone of every cell membrane in your body.
In cosmetics, they function as skin conditioning agents with emulsifier and surfactant properties. They're typically sourced from soybean or sunflower lecithin (or sometimes egg yolk or marine sources).
Because they mirror the lipids naturally found in the deeper layers of your skin, topical phospholipids help reinforce the lipid matrix, reduce transepidermal water loss, and leave skin feeling conditioned.
They're also used to form liposomes, or tiny self-assembling vesible used to stabilize actives like vitamin c or retinol. This helps these ingredients integrate into the upper layers of skin more easily.
Phospholipids are compatible with everything and the CIR Expert Panel has concluded them to be safe at current use levels.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe since phospholipids contain fatty acid chains in the C11-24 range that the malassezia yeast likes to feed on.
Some types of phospholipids include:
Learn more about PhospholipidsRetinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Why is retinol famous?
It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.
Retinol is proven to:
This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).
Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolSodium 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 BenzoateSodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
