What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingUrea
BufferingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMethyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingSqualane
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Dehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Urea, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Methyl Trimethicone, Triethanolamine, Squalane, Disodium EDTA, Dehydroacetic Acid, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 60, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, CI 42090, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningMethyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventPolyglycerin-3
HumectantSqualane
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Oleate Citrate
EmulsifyingRosa Damascena Flower Water
MaskingChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Extract
MaskingCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientVoandzeia Subterranea Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningRhodiola Crenulata Root Extract
EmollientRosa Damascena Flower Oil
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantDiphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPoloxamer 407
EmulsifyingDimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
PEG-6
HumectantPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingBiosaccharide Gum-2
Skin ConditioningC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingWater, Methyl Trimethicone, Glycerin, Propanediol, Polyglycerin-3, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Rosa Damascena Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Voandzeia Subterranea Seed Extract, Rhodiola Crenulata Root Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Poloxamer 407, Dimethicone/Phenyl Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-6, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Biosaccharide Gum-2, C12-14 Pareth-12, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Caramel, Citronellol, Geraniol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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 ExtractGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Methyl Trimethicone is a type of silicone. It is a solvent and emulsifier.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
Methyl Trimethicone does not get absorbed into the skin.
Learn more about Methyl TrimethiconePolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbatePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
Itâs often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium 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 BenzoateSorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateSqualane 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