What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Squalane
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Lecithin
Emollient
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOlive Oil PEG-7 Esters
Emollient
Heptyl Glucoside
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Turtle Oil
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Water, Niacinamide, Squalane, Propylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Alpha-Arbutin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Heptyl Glucoside, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Hydroxide, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Turtle Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentNiacinamide
Smoothing
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Cetyl PCA
Skin ConditioningCetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Marmot Oil
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Cholesterol
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Niacinamide, Xylitylglucoside, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Centella Asiatica Extract, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Hyaluronic Acid, Cetyl PCA, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Marmot Oil, Ceramide NP, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Disodium EDTA, Cholesterol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinNiacinamide 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 NiacinamidePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
This ingredient is a synthetic, salt form polymer built from acrylic acid, ethacrylic acid, or their simple esters. It works as a binder, film former, and viscosity increasing agent.
Typical concentrations start at around 0.5% but can go up to 25% for film-forming or binding.
The CIR Expert Panel assessed the safety of 126 acrylates copolymers and concluded they are safe in cosmetics at current use levels when formulated to be non-irritating. They also noted the levels present in finished cosmetic products are not considered a safety risk and Genotoxicity testing (Ames tests, chromosomal aberration assays) has come back negative across the board.
Though the raw building blocks (like acrylic acid) can be irritating on their own, cosmetic-grade versions go through purification to keep levels extremely low.
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer is a large molecule that doesn't penetrate skin barrier in any meaningful way.
Learn more about Sodium Acrylates CopolymerSqualane 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 SqualaneTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
