What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLactobacillus/Salix Purpurea Bark Ferment Extract
AntiseborrhoeicPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Phytate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Mevalonolactone
HumectantT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Squalane, Cetearyl Olivate, Isopentyldiol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Carbomer, Lactobacillus/Salix Purpurea Bark Ferment Extract, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Phytate, Citric Acid, Mevalonolactone, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Diisostearyl Malate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingEupenicillium Crustaceum Ferment Lysate Extract Filtrate
Skin ConditioningNymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract
HumectantNelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Chitosan
Diglycerin
Humectant
Sucrose Polystearate
EmollientCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlucose
Humectant
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Emulsion StabilisingProtease
Exfoliating
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingSodium Phytate
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Diisostearyl Malate, 1,2-Hexanediol, C14-22 Alcohols, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Eupenicillium Crustaceum Ferment Lysate Extract Filtrate, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Cryptomeria Japonica Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment, Chitosan, Diglycerin, Sucrose Polystearate, Caprylyl Methicone, Methyl Trimethicone, Octyldodecanol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glucose, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Protease, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Sodium Phytate, Beta-Glucan, Dipropylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cholesterol, Ceramide NP
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, itâs technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term âoil-freeâ isnât regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
