What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Glyceryl Isostearate
Emollient
Isostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Papaver Rhoeas Extract
EmollientBrassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientCollagen Amino Acids
Moisturising
Nonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Lecithin
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Vanillyl Butyl Ether
MaskingSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Caffeine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Glyceryl Isostearate, Isostearyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Papaver Rhoeas Extract, Brassica Campestris Sterols, Collagen Amino Acids, Nonapeptide-1, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Lecithin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Vanillyl Butyl Ether, Saccharide Isomerate, Caprylyl Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phosphate, Disodium Phosphate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventPolyvinyl Alcohol
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Algin
Masking
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polystyrene Sulfonate
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Collagen Extract
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Carbonate
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Glycerin
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Methylpropanediol, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Algin, Polysorbate 60, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Cellulose Gum, Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, PEG-100 Stearate, Collagen Extract, Propylene Carbonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Astaxanthin, Cyanocobalamin, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phytosphingosine, Oleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lactic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glycerin, Tocopherol
Reviews
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.
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 preservatives
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol 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 Water
