What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Arginine
Masking
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Squalane
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Phosphate
Skin Conditioning
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMica
Cosmetic ColorantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearyl Alcohol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Jojoba Esters, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Arginine, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Squalane, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Sodium Gluconate, Cetearyl Phosphate, CI 77891, CI 77491, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Mica, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1
Humectant
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Shorea Robusta Resin
TonicRhus Verniciflua Peel Wax
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTin Oxide
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Silica, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Sodium PCA, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Shorea Robusta Resin, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tin Oxide, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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 ButterCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinMica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaPolyglyceryl-2 Stearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholWater. 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
