This barrier-repair day moisturizer is formulated around Squalane and Withania Somnifera Root Extract to strengthen the skin barrier and hydrate skin.
This anti-aging day moisturizer is formulated around Sodium Hyaluronate and Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol to soften the look of wrinkles and fade the look of dark spots.
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTaraxacum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningWithania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sea Water
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Algin
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenylpropanol
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
ChelatingSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Raphanus Sativus Seed Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sea Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharide Isomerate, Fructose, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Algin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Phenylpropanol, Tocopherol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Citronellol, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol, Hydroxycitronellal, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
UV Absorber
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientEthylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Tapioca Starch
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Arctium Lappa Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Creatine
Skin Conditioning1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningIsobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol
Bleaching
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDimethicone
Emollient
Trisodium EDTA
ChelatingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Behenyl Alcohol, Dibutyl Adipate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Phenylbenzimidazole Sulfonic Acid, Tapioca Starch, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arctium Lappa Fruit Extract, Creatine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Isobutylamido Thiazolyl Resorcinol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Dimethicone, Trisodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium 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 HydroxideSodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an amino-acid based emulsifier. It is made by combining stearic acid with L-glutamic acid and neutralizing it to a sodium salt.
As an emulsifier, it works mainly as an oil-in-water one and helps keep the oil and water in your formulas blended. It also contributes to a smooth, non-greasy skin feel.
This ingredient is biodegradable and commonly available in natural/COSMOS-certified grades.
Learn more about Sodium Stearoyl GlutamateWater. 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
