What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantIsostearyl Isostearate
EmollientEthyl Olivate
EmollientDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventGlycerin
HumectantTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSqualane
EmollientHydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
AntioxidantSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantJojoba Esters
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantO-Cymen-5-Ol
AntimicrobialXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPolyglycerin-3
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Propylene Glycol, Isostearyl Isostearate, Ethyl Olivate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Bisabolol, Saccharide Isomerate, Jojoba Esters, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Tocopherol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglycerin-3, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantHexyldecanol
EmollientHexyldecyl Laurate
EmollientSqualane
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantC20-22 Alkyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPalmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract
AntioxidantC20-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientParfum
MaskingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Dehydroacetate
PreservativeHyaluronic Acid
HumectantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Khaya Senegalensis Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentLinalool
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingPaeonia Lactiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCoumarin
PerfumingNicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hexyldecanol, Hexyldecyl Laurate, Squalane, Tocopheryl Acetate, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract, C20-22 Alcohols, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Hyaluronic Acid, Adenosine, Sodium Hydroxide, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Phytate, Khaya Senegalensis Bark Extract, Maltodextrin, Linalool, Limonene, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Coumarin, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-47
Reviews
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, 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 OilSqualane 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 SqualaneWater. 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