What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Tapioca Starch
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
C15-19 Alkane
SolventCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyglycerin-6
HumectantSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pantolactone
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Propanediol, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Tapioca Starch, Dicaprylyl Ether, C15-19 Alkane, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Polyglycerin-6, Sorbitan Oleate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pantolactone, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolyquaternium-67
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Saccharide Hydrolysate
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Pullulan
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sea Water
HumectantSodium Acetate
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lysine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Threonine
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Coco-Betaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Potassium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Polyquaternium-67, Potassium Cocoate, Citric Acid, Fructooligosaccharides, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Disodium EDTA, Pullulan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Panthenol, Sea Water, Sodium Acetate, Butylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beta-Glucan, Phosphatidylcholine, Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide NP, Glycine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lysine, Alanine, Arginine, Threonine, Proline
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolWater. 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
