What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantLauric Acid
CleansingBetaine
HumectantHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCera Alba
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialC10-18 Triglycerides
EmollientTocotrienols
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingWater, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Lauric Acid, Betaine, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cera Alba, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, C10-18 Triglycerides, Tocotrienols, Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene, Polysorbate 80, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Panthenol, Allantoin, Triethanolamine
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate
SurfactantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
EmollientPEG-32
HumectantPEG-6
HumectantHydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientLinoleic Acid
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Trideceth-12, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sorbitan Stearate, Beeswax, Dimethicone, PEG-32, PEG-6, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cholesterol, Linoleic Acid, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolGlycerin (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 Lauroyl Lactylate is the lauric acid sodium salt of lactyl lactate.
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate is an emulsifier and surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. They do this by preventing ingredients from separating, such as oils and water which do not mix naturally. Surfactants reduce surface tension, making it easier to rinse pollutants off skin.
Due to its relation to lauric acid, it may provide antimicrobial benefits.
Learn more about Sodium Lauroyl LactylateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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