What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCitrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract
RefreshingJasminum Officinale Flower Extract
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
CleansingPaeonia Officinalis Flower Extract
TonicPrunus Serrulata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
MaskingMalus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantLecithin
EmollientPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingWater, Glycine Soja Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Paeonia Officinalis Flower Extract, Prunus Serrulata Flower Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Lecithin, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingDimethicone
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePanthenol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAllyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingRetinol
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialAcrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Benzyl Alcohol
PerfumingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantHydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine
Skin ConditioningBHT
AntioxidantPropyl Gallate
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Isononyl Isononanoate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glycine Soja Oil, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Parfum, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer, Benzyl Salicylate, Retinol, Chlorphenesin, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Polysorbate 20, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, BHT, Propyl Gallate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine Soja Oil comes from the soybean. Glycine Soja is native to eastern Asia.
Soybean oil is an emollient. It is rich in antioxidants and fatty acids including palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic acids.
As an emollient, the fatty acids in soybean oil helps keep your skin soft and hydrated. It does so by creating a film on top that traps moisture in.
Soybean oil is also rich in vitamin E, a potent antioxidant. Vitamin E is also anti-inflammatory and provides a soothing effect.
Studies show soy may help fade hyperpigmentation from UVB. It does so by disrupting the melanin process from UVB induced skin inflammation.
This ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne, safe.
Soybeans are rich in proteins and are part of the legume family. Foods made with soybeans include tofu, soymilk, edamame, miso, and soy sauce.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Sodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol 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