What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOctocrylene
UV AbsorberEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV AbsorberCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCeteareth-20
CleansingMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV FilterButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV AbsorberGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantGlycerin
HumectantDecyl Glucoside
CleansingParfum
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePanthenol
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningEDTA
Alpha-Arbutin
AntioxidantTranexamic Acid
AstringentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantPropanediol
SolventHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingCitronellal
MaskingGeraniol
PerfumingWater, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Titanium Dioxide, Glycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Ethylhexylglycerin, EDTA, Alpha-Arbutin, Tranexamic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Propanediol, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellal, Geraniol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHomosalate
Skin ConditioningOctocrylene
UV AbsorberEthylhexyl Salicylate
UV AbsorberCaprylyl Methicone
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientButyloctyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
SmoothingPropanediol
SolventDimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Chloride
MaskingTrimethylsiloxysilicate
EmollientDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSilica Silylate
EmollientTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Simethicone
EmollientMaltodextrin
AbsorbentAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientAdenosine
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
AntioxidantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Homosalate, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Silica Silylate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Simethicone, Maltodextrin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Adenosine, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideOctocrylene is an oil-soluble organic UV filter that mainly absorbs UVB and short wave UVA II light.
Its real superpower is teamwork: octocrylene is remarkably photostable and is most famous for stabilizing avobenzone (the workhorse UVA filter).
This ingredient is commonly used to enhance both UVB and UVA protection due to its unique property in stabilizing avobenzone. It also pulls double duty by boosting water resistance and giving formulas a smooth, spreadable feel.
The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has deemed octocrylene to be safe as a UV-filter at concentrations up to 10% (capped at 9% in propellant sprays). The US also permits it up to 10%.
Two things worth knowing:
You'll usually see this ingredient used in concentrations between 2-10% (higher amounts when used as a stabilizer for avobenzone).
Learn more about OctocrylenePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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