What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Prunus Persica Kernel Oil
Emollient
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylamide
Lecithin
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycogen
HumectantChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter, Glycerin, Prunus Persica Kernel Oil, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Lecithin, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycogen, Chlorphenesin, Laureth-7, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyacrylamide
Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Polysilicone-11
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Croton Lechleri Resin Extract
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sucrose Palmitate
EmollientPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Squalane, Glycerin, Polyacrylamide, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysilicone-11, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Croton Lechleri Resin Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sucrose Palmitate, Panthenol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Laureth-7, Glyceryl Linoleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as "C13-14 Isoalkane".
C13-14 Isoparaffin is created from petroleum-based mineral oils. It is an emollient and helps thicken a product.
As an emollient, it helps keep the skin soft and smooth by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in, keeping the skin hydrated.
C13-14 Isoparaffin may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about C13-14 IsoparaffinCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinLaureth-7 is created by the ethoxylation of lauryl alcohol using ethylene oxide. Lauryl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with hydrating properties.
This ingredient is an emulsifier and cleansing ingredient. As an emulsifier, it is used to prevent ingredients from separating. It also helps cleanse the skin by gathering dirt, oil, and pollutants to be rinsed away.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer. It is used to stabilize products and bind ingredients. When hydrated, Polyacrylamide forms a soft gel.
Polyacrylamide is low-toxicity. If source properly, it is deemed safe to use in cosmetics.
It should be noted the precursor to Polyacrylamide is acrylamide. Acrylamide is a carcinogen. Most reputable sources of Polyacrylamide will screen for residual acrylamide to make sure the count is in a safe range. Acrylamide is not able to be absorbed through the skin.
We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Learn more about PolyacrylamideThis ingredient is a synthetic, salt form polymer built from acrylic acid, ethacrylic acid, or their simple esters. It works as a binder, film former, and viscosity increasing agent.
Typical concentrations start at around 0.5% but can go up to 25% for film-forming or binding.
The CIR Expert Panel assessed the safety of 126 acrylates copolymers and concluded they are safe in cosmetics at current use levels when formulated to be non-irritating. They also noted the levels present in finished cosmetic products are not considered a safety risk and Genotoxicity testing (Ames tests, chromosomal aberration assays) has come back negative across the board.
Though the raw building blocks (like acrylic acid) can be irritating on their own, cosmetic-grade versions go through purification to keep levels extremely low.
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer is a large molecule that doesn't penetrate skin barrier in any meaningful way.
Learn more about Sodium Acrylates CopolymerSodium 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 Water
