What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Withania Somnifera Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Hemidesmus Indicus Root Powder
Skin ConditioningMesua Ferrea Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningElettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil
Masking
Amomum Subulatum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSolanum Lycocarpum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSolanum Indicum Root Powder
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Powder
Terminalia Bellerica Fruit
AstringentTerminalia Chebula Extract
AstringentCyperus Rotundus Tuber Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Cerasoides Extract
Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract
Skin Protecting
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Powder
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Fermented Vegetable
EmollientWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Withania Somnifera Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hemidesmus Indicus Root Powder, Mesua Ferrea Seed Extract, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil, Amomum Subulatum Seed Extract, Solanum Lycocarpum Fruit Extract, Solanum Indicum Root Powder, Corallina Officinalis Powder, Terminalia Bellerica Fruit, Terminalia Chebula Extract, Cyperus Rotundus Tuber Extract, Prunus Cerasoides Extract, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Oryza Sativa Powder, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Fermented Vegetable
Water
Skin ConditioningHexyldecyl Stearate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Pumice
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Water
Skin ConditioningBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Menthol
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Phytate
Vitis Vinifera Juice
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Hexyldecyl Stearate, Glycerin, Pumice, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Water, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Arachidyl Glucoside, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Menthol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Limonene, Sodium Phytate, Vitis Vinifera Juice, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateTocopherol (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 TocopherolWater. 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
