What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine
Skin Conditioning
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Nicotiana Benthamiana Sh-Polypedtide-7
Skin ConditioningNiacin
SmoothingMorus Alba Root Extract
BleachingGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Diacetyl Boldine
Skin Conditioning
Bellis Perennis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingTriticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDimethicone
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Sodium Cholate
Skin ConditioningPolysilicone-11
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
BHT
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingIsoceteth-10
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tromethamine
BufferingHydrochloric Acid
BufferingBHA
Antioxidant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPotassium Phosphate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Propanediol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cyclopentasiloxane, Lecithin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Tranexamic Acid, Retinol, Retinal, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Nicotiana Benthamiana Sh-Polypedtide-7, Niacin, Morus Alba Root Extract, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Diacetyl Boldine, Bellis Perennis Flower Extract, Bakuchiol, Azelaic Acid, Ascorbyl Glucoside, 4-Butylresorcinol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-2, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-76, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Propylene Glycol, Carbomer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 20, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Sodium Cholate, Polysilicone-11, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, BHT, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Silica, Sodium Chloride, Isoceteth-10, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Oleate, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Tromethamine, Hydrochloric Acid, BHA, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipotassium Phosphate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Potassium Phosphate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Azelaic acid is a multitasker ingredient that helps treat acne, pigmentation, and irritation. It is a great option for sensitive skin.
What makes it special?
OTC Azelaic acid is usually available in concentrations from 10-15% and anything over requires a prescription.
Here's what each tier does best:
Unlike other acids, azelaic acid will not make your skin more photosensitive/sun sensitive.
Though this ingredient is naturally occurring in grains like wheat, rye, and barley, it is usually synthetically created for cosmetics to ensure stability and effectiveness.
Learn more about Azelaic AcidThis 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 TriglycerideCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTALecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium 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 HydroxideWater. 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
