What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Magnesium PCA
Humectant
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Angelica Gigas Root Extract
Skin ConditioningLithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract
Skin ConditioningGardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract
Cosmetic ColorantCymbidium Grandiflorum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Glycolate
BufferingSodium Formate
Buffering
Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Dimethicone, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Niacinamide, Sodium PCA, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Magnesium PCA, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Lithospermum Erythrorhizon Root Extract, Gardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract, Cymbidium Grandiflorum Flower Extract, Aleurites Moluccanus Seed Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopherol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Glycolate, Sodium Formate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Maltose
MaskingFructose
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Inulin, Propanediol, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Rhus Succedanea Fruit Wax, Sodium Hyaluronate, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Proline, Threonine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Betaine, Sodium PCA, PCA, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Glucose, Maltose, Fructose, Sucrose, Trehalose, Sodium Lactate, Urea, Allantoin, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
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 ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium 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 PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCATocopherol 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
