What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Diglycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether
StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-32
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentasodium Pentetate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Pentylene Glycol, Diglycerin, Trehalose, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, PEG-32, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Dimethicone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopherol, Triethylhexanoin, Behenyl Alcohol, Pentasodium Pentetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin)
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tranexamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-12 Olefin), Glycerin, Diglycerin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Sodium Metabisulfite, Xanthan Gum, Behenyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholDiglycerin is a humectant. It is derived from glycerin, which is naturally found in your skin.
As a humectant, it helps draw moisture to the skin from the air.
Dimethicone 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 DimethiconeDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene 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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 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 GlutamateTocopherol 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 TocopherolTriethylhexanoin is created from glycerin and 2-ethylhexanoic acid. It is a solvent and emollient.
As a solvent, Triethylhexanoin helps dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
It is also an emollient and helps condition the skin.
Learn more about TriethylhexanoinWater. 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
