What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Lactic Acid

Buffering
AHA IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Tromethamine

Buffering

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking
Coconut Derived IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Water

Skin Conditioning

Triheptanoin

Skin Conditioning

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Myristyl Nicotinate

Skin Conditioning

Dicaprylyl Ether

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Coconut Alkanes

Emollient
Coconut Derived Icon

Squalane

Emollient
1 / 0 Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ectoin

Skin Conditioning
Ectoin IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Retinol

Skin Conditioning
Retinoid IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Withania Somnifera Root Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation Icon

Polyglutamic Acid

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Morus Alba Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Oryza Sativa Bran Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Chondrus Crispus Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil

Masking
0-2 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil

Emollient
0 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate

Skin Conditioning

Helianthus Annuus Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Butyrospermum Parkii Butter

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair IconBad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Cucumis Sativus Seed Extract

Skin Conditioning

Beta-Glucan

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Hordeum Vulgare Extract

Emollient

Behenyl Alcohol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Glyceryl Behenate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Bisabolol

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Zingiber Officinale Root Extract

Masking
Helps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Pentylene Glycol

Skin Conditioning
Good for Barrier Repair Icon

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Phytosterols

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Polysilicone-11

Silicon IconGood for Oily Skin Icon

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Emollient
Coconut Derived Icon

Methyl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Polyisobutene

Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside

Cleansing

Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Synthetic Fluorphlogopite

Hydroxyacetophenone

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Sorbitan Oleate

Emulsifying
3 / 0 Bad for Acne Prone Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Xanthan Gum

Emulsifying

Disodium EDTA

Propyl Gallate

Antioxidant
Fragrance IconAntioxidant IconMay cause irritation Icon

Caprylhydroxamic Acid

Aminomethyl Propanol

Buffering

Silica

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores Icon

Ascorbic Acid

Antioxidant
Vitamin C IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture Icon

Parfum

Masking
Synthetic Fragrance IconFragrance IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

BHT

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Citric Acid

Buffering
AHA IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Tin Oxide

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone

Perfuming
Synthetic Fragrance IconFragrance IconMay cause irritation IconEU Allergen Icon

CI 77891

Cosmetic Colorant

Reviews

3.33
Overall rating
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3
2
1
What people say
Irritating 75% Expensive 50% Absorbs Well 25%
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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse. 

It is a:

  • Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
  • Emollient, helping to soften skin
  • Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
  • Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives 
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.

Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.

Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

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 Glycerin
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.

The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.

This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.

Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.

Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.

Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.

Learn more about Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning

Polyglutamic Acid is made up many glutamic acids chained together. It is created from bacterial fermentation.

This ingredient is an effective skin hydrator and may help speed up wound healing. As a humectant, it draws and holds water to the skin. This ingredient is often compared to hyaluronic acid or glycerin. Similarly to hyaluronic acid, it can vary in molecular weights. This means polyglutamic acid is capable of bringing hydration to lower levels of the skin.

Fun fact: Polyglutamic Acid is found in the Japanese food, natto. It is also being used in cancer treatment studies.

Learn more about Polyglutamic Acid
Solvent

Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin. 

It’s often used to:

Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.

Learn more about Propanediol
Humectant, Skin Conditioning

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 Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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

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