What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Whey Protein
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
EDTA
Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Water, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Kojic Acid, Bisabolol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Retinyl Palmitate, Hyaluronic Acid, Phospholipids, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Whey Protein, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Propylene Glycol, EDTA, Dimethicone, Triethanolamine, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventMeadowfoam Delta-Lactone
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Propionate
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Swertia Chirata Leaf Extract
AstringentUrea
Buffering
Yeast Amino Acids
HumectantTrehalose
Humectant
Inositol
Humectant
Taurine
BufferingBetaine
Humectant
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Glycine Soja Extract
Skin ConditioningMacrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Punica Granatum Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer
PEG-8
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Meadowfoam Delta-Lactone, Retinyl Propionate, Retinol, Swertia Chirata Leaf Extract, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Glycine Soja Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Isopropyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Pvp, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pvm/Ma Decadiene Crosspolymer, PEG-8, Carbomer, Sodium Bisulfite, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 77891, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, CI 14700, CI 19140
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
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, 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 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
