What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingBHT
Antioxidant
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
PEG-9 Diglycidyl Ether/Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningCitral
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Niacinamide, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Sodium PCA, Disodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, BHT, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, PEG-9 Diglycidyl Ether/Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Amber Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Withania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Coconut Alkanes, Dimethicone, Amber Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 TriglycerideDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopheryl 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
