What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingCalendula Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveRubus Fruticosus Leaf Extract
MaskingCitrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningMorus Nigra Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Dna
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientPalmitic Acid
EmollientOleic Acid
EmollientInulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Niacinamide, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Rubus Fruticosus Leaf Extract, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Morus Nigra Fruit Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Ceramide NP, Squalane, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Dna, Adenosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cholesterol, Palmitic Acid, Oleic Acid, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Extract
AntiseborrhoeicGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
BufferingHydrolyzed Dna
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycolic Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveCalendula Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantSalix Alba Bark Extract
AstringentLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin ConditioningSalicylic Acid
MaskingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Mannose Phosphate
HumectantMannose
HumectantLysine
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningCopper Sulfate
Skin ConditioningAchillea Millefolium Extract
CleansingCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
ExfoliatingCitrus Paradisi Peel Oil
MaskingWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Gluconolactone, Lactic Acid, Hydrolyzed Dna, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Propanediol, Caramel, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Salicylic Acid, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acacia Senegal Gum, Adenosine, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Mannose Phosphate, Mannose, Lysine, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Proline, Copper Sulfate, Achillea Millefolium Extract, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceAvena Sativa Kernel Extract is is derived from colloidal oatmeal. Besides being a healthy breakfast, oats have many benefits in skincare too.
This ingredient helps sooth, hydrate, and protect the skin. The starches in colloidal oatmeal are able to bind water, keeping the skin hydrated.
The cellulose and fiber in colloidal oatmeal help reduce inflammation. This can also help the skin feel softer.
Colloidal Oatmeal is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect our skin from free-radical damage.
Oatmeal also contains beneficial compounds:
This ingredient is created by mixing grounded oatmeal and a liquid base.
Learn more about Avena Sativa Kernel ExtractButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCalendula Officinalis Extract comes from the common Marigold plant.
Marigold flowers contain flavonoids. Flavonoids are a group of substances found naturally in plants. They possess antioxidant and inflammation properties.
This ingredient may help soothe your skin by reducing inflammation. Emerging studies show it inhibits nitrous oxide production safely, therefore reducing inflammation.
Marigolds have been used in traditional medicine throughout Asia and Europe.
Learn more about Calendula Officinalis ExtractThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideThis ingredient is also known as grapefruit peel oil. It is mainly used as a fragrance/perfuming ingredient and is made up of about 99-92% limonene.
Though in vitro or food science has shown this oil to be antibacterial, possess antioxidant activity, and be anti-inflammatory, there's very little research testing it directly on human skin or in cosmetics.
Limonene is a known skin sensitizer. Because grapefruit peel oil can contain furanocoumarins, this ingredient can also cause phototoxicity. It is possible to created furanocoumarin-free versions that are not phototoxic; it is best to reach out to the brand if you have questions about this ingredient in your cosmetics.
Learn more about Citrus Paradisi Peel OilThis extract comes from cucumber. Cucumbers are mostly made up of water (95%), and the other 5% is composed of: vitamin C, caffeic acid, fatty acids, amino acids, and other minerals.
Cucumbers have anti-inflammatory, barrier repair, and hydrating properties.
They contain shikimate dehydrigenase, an enzyme shown to help reduce inflammation and soothe the skin.
The amino acids found in cucumbers help nourish our skin's natural acid mantle (it's an important part of our skin barrier). This slightly acidic film acts as a barrier to protect us from bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants.
Unless you have an allergy to cucumbers, this is generally a non-irritating ingredient.
Fun fact: Cucumis Sativus is native to South Asia and can now be found on every continent.
Learn more about Cucumis Sativus Fruit ExtractDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Hydrolyzed Dna yet.
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract is a type of kelp. It helps sooth and hydrate the skin. By nourishing the skin's barrier, it may also help relieve irritation.
This ingredient contains both lipids and antioxidants. The lipids nourish the skin's barrier. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
This ingredient is good for soothing sensitive skin.
Many different types of algae have different benefits.
Learn more about Laminaria Ochroleuca ExtractNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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