What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Quartz Powder
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Panthenol, Allantoin, Quartz Powder, Tocopherol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Sprout
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPyrus Malus Pulp Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Aloe Barbadensis Sprout, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Squalane, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Dimethyl Sulfone, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Allantoin, Piroctone Olamine, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Panthenol, Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Pyrus Malus Pulp Extract, Tocopherol, Humulus Lupulus 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.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilTocopherol 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 Water
