What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Dicaprylyl Ether, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Myristyl Myristate, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lauroyl Lysine, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phyllostachys Bambusoides Extract
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Limonene
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, Zinc PCA, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Myristyl Myristate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phyllostachys Bambusoides Extract, Silica, Sclerotium Gum, C14-22 Alcohols, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Limonene, Tocopherol
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
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 TriglycerideDicaprylyl Ether is created from caprylic acid. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Ether is non-comedogenic. It helps soften and smooth the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, helping to hydrate the skin.
Dicaprylyl Ether gives a non-greasy feel and better spreadability to products.
Learn more about Dicaprylyl EtherGlycerin (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 GlycerinMyristyl Myristate is created from the fatty acids of myristyl alcohol and myristic acid. In skincare, it is an emollient and texture enhancer.
On its own, this ingredient has a comedogenicity index of 5/5. This means it has the potential to clog pores. When diluted with cetyl alcohol or propylene glycol, the comedogenicity will decrease.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.
Nutmeg, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil all contain this ingredient naturally.
Learn more about Myristyl MyristateThis ingredient is more commonly known as IPMP or Isopropyl Methylphenol. It is a preservative and has antimicrobial properties.
According to the EPA, this ingredient is allowed for use in cleansers, creams, powders, bath products, toothpaste, perfume, and more.
Tocopherol 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
