What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningPantolactone
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Heptapeptide-6
Skin Conditioning
Water, Azelaic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Ectoin, Panthenol, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Sclerotium Gum, Maltodextrin, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Lactobacillus, Pantolactone, Caprylyl Glycol, Heptapeptide-6
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
Betaine
Humectant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Triticum Aestivum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Triticum Turgidum Durum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningEragrostis Tef Seed Extract
EmollientChenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Propylene Glycol, Azelaic Acid, Betaine, Zinc PCA, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Glycerin, Triticum Aestivum Seed Extract, Triticum Turgidum Durum Seed Extract, Eragrostis Tef Seed Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Levulinate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Anisate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Gluconate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid
Reviews
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 AcidCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl 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 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.
This is the synthetic salt of gluconic acid, a form of PHA and mild exfoliant.
It is mainly used to stabilize oil and butter formulations from going bad. Sodium gluconate is a humectant, pH regulator, and chelating agent.
Chelating agents help neutralize unwanted metals from affecting the formulation.
Sodium gluconate is water-soluble.
Learn more about Sodium GluconateWater. 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
