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
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Vinyldimethicone
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Salix Alba Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glucose
Humectant
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingInulin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Poloxamer 338
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xylose
HumectantFructan
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Propylene Glycol Dibenzoate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Vinyldimethicone, Ectoin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces/Coix Lacryma-Jobi Ma-Yuen Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Resveratrol, Saccharide Isomerate, Salix Alba Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Polyglutamic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Tocopherol, Glucose, C14-22 Alcohols, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Carbomer, Arginine, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Inulin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Ethoxydiglycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Poloxamer 338, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xylose, Fructan
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.
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
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
