What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventRibes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Oxycoccus Palustris Seed Oil
Antioxidant
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Bakuchiol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Ubiquinone, Tocopherol, Oxycoccus Palustris Seed Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cellulose Acetate Butyrate
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningPlankton Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Pullulan
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTricaprylin
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Coco-Caprylate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol, Retinal, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Plankton Extract, Ceramide Ng, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Jojoba Esters, Lecithin, Pullulan, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Tricaprylin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethyl Isosorbide is a low-irritation solvent that helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from glucose.
Research shows how well this ingredient works depends on the active and formulation rather than the concentration alone. This means adding more Dimethyl Isosorbide does not guarantee better penetration of ingredients into the skin.
Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
This ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes retinol and tretinoin.
Retinoids have been proven to:
So what is the difference between all the retinoids?
Most retinoids need to go through a conversion line to become effective on skin. The ending product is retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is AKA tretinoin.
HPR is an ester of tretinoin. Emerging studies suggest HPR to have an added benefit that other retinoids don't have: Low irritation.
A study from 2021 found HPR to have the greatest stability when exposed to light and temperature out of all the commercial retinoids.
A note about naming:
The name "Granactive" is the trade name and the name most commonly used on packages.
Granactive is the name of the mixture - about 90% solvent and 10% HPR. A product with 5% granactive has 0.5% HPR.
Learn more about Hydroxypinacolone RetinoatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about Tocopherol
