What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXylitol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Glucose
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Water, Niacinamide, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Retinol, Allantoin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xylitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glucose, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Squalane
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingRetinol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingPhaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Sponge
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Water, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Squalane, Sorbitan Olivate, Carbomer, Retinol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Tromethamine, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Retinal, Hydrolyzed Sponge, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Madecassoside, Centella Asiatica Extract
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 TriglycerideDisodium 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 GlycerinRetinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Why is retinol famous?
It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.
Retinol is proven to:
This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).
Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolWater. 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
