What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Methylpropanediol
SolventDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLupeol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Saccharide Hydrolysate
HumectantPullulan
Acanthopanax Sessiliflorus Bark/Root/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Betula Alba Juice
AstringentTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxycinnamic Acid
Skin ConditioningRutin
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Propanediol, Methylpropanediol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Caprylyl Methicone, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Water, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), 1,2-Hexanediol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Lupeol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Fructooligosaccharides, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Pullulan, Acanthopanax Sessiliflorus Bark/Root/Stem Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Betula Alba Juice, Tocopherol, Hydroxycinnamic Acid, Rutin, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Erythritol
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Homarine Hcl
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Erythritol, Glycine Soja Oil, Homarine Hcl, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
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 Cetyl AlcoholDicaprylyl Carbonate comes from carbonic acid and caprylyl alcohol, a fatty alcohol. It is an emollient and gives skin a velvet feel. The sources of Dicaprylyl Carbonate may be synthetic or from animals.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Carbonate creates a film on the skin. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
