What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventPolyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Methylpropanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Stearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Palmitic Acid, Sorbitan Stearate, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Oleic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientCanola Oil
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Xylitol
Humectant
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitamide Mea
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingMannitol
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Sucrose Stearate, Canola Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Beta-Sitosterol, Xylitol, Zinc Gluconate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Palmitamide Mea, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Mannitol, Rhamnose, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide NP, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Fructooligosaccharides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Citric Acid, Ceramide EOP
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 TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
