What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-16 Macadamia Glycerides
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPEG-100 Stearate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
S-Mu-Conotoxin Cniiic Acetate
Skin ConditioningCopper Lysinate/Prolinate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Lupine Protein
Skin ConditioningTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Methylglucoside Phosphate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylyl Methicone, Glycerin, Jojoba Esters, Niacinamide, PEG-16 Macadamia Glycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-20, PEG-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alcohol Denat., Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Caffeine, S-Mu-Conotoxin Cniiic Acetate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Arginine, Glycine, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Carbomer, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Ethyl Menthane Carboxamide
TonicMethyl Diisopropyl Propionamide
MaskingSodium Phytate
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Tromethamine
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Sorbitan Olivate, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Stearic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Oleic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Menthyl Lactate, Ethyl Menthane Carboxamide, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Sodium Phytate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tromethamine, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 TriglycerideCaprylyl 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 GlycolCarbomer 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 CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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
