What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Squalane
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Malic Acid
Buffering
Pyruvic Acid
MaskingTartaric Acid
Buffering
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Bentonite
Absorbent
Montmorillonite
AbsorbentOlivine Extract
Skin ConditioningIllite
Abrasive
Kaolin
Abrasive
Iron Oxides
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Water, Gluconolactone, Glycerin, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Squalane, Propanediol, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Mandelic Acid, Malic Acid, Pyruvic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Bentonite, Montmorillonite, Olivine Extract, Illite, Kaolin, Iron Oxides, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Saccharide Isomerate, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Sodium PCA, Sodium Phytate
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingInulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Disodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMannitol
Humectant
Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Squalane, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Mannitol, Acrylates/Stearyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide NP, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11
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.Ā
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 preservativesĀ
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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Ā
Itās 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 PropanediolSqualane 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, itās 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 āoil-freeā isnāt 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
