What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycerin
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningZinc PCA
HumectantMadecassoside
AntioxidantMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningAsiaticoside
AntioxidantAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSea Water
HumectantPinus Densiflora Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicPropolis Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningPolylysine
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantSpiraea Ulmaria Extract
AstringentFomes Officinalis Extract
Skin ProtectingCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningCynanchum Atratum Extract
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantDextrin
AbsorbentHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningMacadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningElaeis Guineensis Oil
EmollientBetaine
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
PerfumingCaprylic Acid
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientWater, Niacinamide, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Zinc PCA, Madecassoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sea Water, Pinus Densiflora Bark Extract, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Propolis Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Polylysine, Capryloyl Glycine, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Spiraea Ulmaria Extract, Fomes Officinalis Extract, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Stearic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Dextrin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Betaine, Trehalose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Caprylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantZinc PCA
HumectantPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Tocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideWater. 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 WaterZinc PCA is a clever two-in-one molecule: the zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA).
Think of it as two useful things bonded together; the PCA half is one of your skin's own natural moisturizing factors (NMF) so it helps hold water in the upper layers. On the other hand, the zinc half does the heavy lifting on oil and bacteria.
The zinc part slows down an enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT, the hormone that tells your oil glands to pump out more sebum. Less of that signal means less oil. It also gently fights acne-causing bacteria and soothes redness/irritation.
This is why Zinc PCA often shows up in products for oily, breakout-prone skin and greasy scalps.
One lab study also hinted it might have a small anti-aging perk because it seemed to protect collagen from UVA damage and even helped the skin make a bit more of it. That last bit is still early research done in a dish and not real skin, so take it as a nice bonus rather than a promise for now.
As for scar healing, the picture is more "maybe" than a firm yes. Zinc itself plays a real role in wound repair because it is a cofactor for the enzymes involved in collagen building, calming inflammation, and helping new skin cells cover a wound. Lower zinc levels are also linked to slower healing.
Most of the scar healing research is on zinc oxide or oral zinc rather than zinc PCA specifically, with a focus on healing fresh wounds instead of scars that are already there.
Direct evidence that zinc PCA improves the look of established scars is still limited at this time. Though it would be fair to say zinc PCA supports the general skin-repair environment thanks to its zinc content .
This ingredient is water-soluble and plays nicely with other actives like niacinamide and salicylic acid. It works best at mildly acidic formulas (~4-6 pH) and is effective at low levels. Around 0.1% is enough to be active and finished products commonly use it anywhere up to 4%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-drama multitasker that suits oily and acne-prone skin.
Learn more about Zinc PCA