What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Squalene
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Amylopectin
Lecithin
Emollient
Phytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningLithothamnion Calcareum Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Oligopeptide-3
Skin Conditioning
Oligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Folic Acid
Skin ConditioningBacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Myrica Cerifera Fruit Extract
HumectantAkebia Quinata Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Lannesiana Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glutamine
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dextran
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Propanediol, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Squalene, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Amylopectin, Lecithin, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Oligopeptide-3, Oligopeptide-2, Oligopeptide-1, Hexapeptide-11, Folic Acid, Bacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Lactic Acid, Phospholipids, Ceramide NP, Phytosterols, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Myrica Cerifera Fruit Extract, Akebia Quinata Stem Extract, Prunus Lannesiana Flower Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Tripeptide-1, Ceramide EOP, Polyglutamic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Acetyl Glutamine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Benzoate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Carbomer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dextran, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateTocopherol 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
