What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCitrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin ProtectingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPyrus Cydonia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPolyglyceryl-2 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sorbitol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Colloidal Gold
AntimicrobialGlutathione
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ferulic Acid, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Azelaic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sorbitol, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbic Acid, Colloidal Gold, Glutathione, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Tocopherol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilRosehip Oil is a non-fragrant plant oil. Rosehips are a fruit from a rose bush and are edible. This oil has skin conditioning and hydrating properties.
Rosehip contains Vitamin C, Vitamin E, fatty acids and linolenic acids. These nourish your skin barrier. Having hydrated skin may help reduce the appearance of fine-lines and wrinkles.
Another great component of Rosehip Oil is Vitamin A, or retinol. Vitamin A encourages your skin to create more collagen.
Rosehip oil may help with reducing pigmentation. The lycopene and beta-carotene have skin-lightening properties. However, more studies are needed to confirm this.
Learn more about Rosa Canina Fruit OilSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateTocopherol 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
