What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Oleyl Erucate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Olivoyl Glutamate
CleansingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xylitol
Humectant
Laureth-3
EmulsifyingOryzanol
Skin ConditioningSchisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Lupinus Albus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Oleyl Erucate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Myristyl Myristate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Arginine, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Olivoyl Glutamate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xylitol, Laureth-3, Oryzanol, Schisandra Chinensis Fruit Extract, Ceramide NP, Dipropylene Glycol, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Lupinus Albus Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Cholesterol, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Chlorphenesin, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Prunus Domestica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Gelidium Sesquipedale Extract
Skin ProtectingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningXylitol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Myristyl Glucoside
CleansingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientLysolecithin
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingOleic Acid
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Pullulan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingSilica
Abrasive
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Water, Glycerin, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Squalane, Pentylene Glycol, Lauroyl Lysine, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Myristyl Alcohol, Xylitylglucoside, Ectoin, Gelidium Sesquipedale Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Anhydroxylitol, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Xylitol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Bisabolol, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Linoleic Acid, Myristyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Propanediol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Lysolecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Oleic Acid, Tocopherol, Palmitic Acid, Pullulan, Xanthan Gum, Stearic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenethyl Alcohol, Silica, Linolenic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinSodium 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 HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol 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 WaterXylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.
In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.
The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.
As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.
Learn more about Xylitol
