What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCopaifera Officinalis Resin
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
SolventPolyglyceryl-3 Distearate
EmulsifyingIsosorbide Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingEthoxydiglycol
HumectantDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientSqualane
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingPanax Notoginseng Root Extract
HumectantTheobroma Cacao Leaf Cell Extract
MaskingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingMagnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
AntimicrobialEchinacea Purpurea Extract
MoisturisingSophora Japonica Bud Extract
Skin ProtectingHumulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialCurcuma Longa Root Extract
MaskingHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHaematococcus Pluvialis Extract
AntioxidantAstaxanthin
Skin ConditioningErgothioneine
AntioxidantThioctic Acid
AntioxidantSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientTribehenin
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingPhytic Acid
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Copaifera Officinalis Resin, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Ethoxydiglycol, Diheptyl Succinate, Squalane, Niacinamide, Panax Notoginseng Root Extract, Theobroma Cacao Leaf Cell Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Sophora Japonica Bud Extract, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Haematococcus Pluvialis Extract, Astaxanthin, Ergothioneine, Thioctic Acid, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Tribehenin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Phytic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethoxydiglycol is a synthetic solvent.
Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.
Ethoxydiglycol also helps deliver other key ingredients into the skin.
Learn more about EthoxydiglycolGlycerin (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.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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