What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Arginine
Masking
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Borago Officinalis Extract
Emollient
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glucose
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenyl Trimethicone, C14-22 Alcohols, Polysorbate 60, Arginine, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract, Borago Officinalis Extract, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glucose, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tripeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Hexapeptide-11, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Clitoria Ternatea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingMethylpropanediol
SolventPullulan
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract
MaskingVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Malus Domestica Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Musa Sapientum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract
AntimicrobialSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Squalane, Clitoria Ternatea Flower Extract, Sorbitan Olivate, Behenyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Arginine, Arachidyl Glucoside, Methylpropanediol, Pullulan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Adenosine, Malus Domestica Fruit Extract, Polyglutamic Acid, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Sodium Phytate, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glucose, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Musa Sapientum Flower Extract, Hedera Helix Leaf/Stem Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylic/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 CarbomerGlucose is a simple sugar (a monosaccharide). In skincare, it is mostly a humectant and skin conditioning agent.
Mechanistically, it has multiple hydroxyl groups that hydrogen-bond to water. This pulls moisture into the upper layers of skin to keep the surface soft and hydrated.
It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.
Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.
Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.
In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.
Learn more about GlucoseGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateWater. 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
