What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Solanum Tuberosum Pulp Extract
SmoothingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPisum Sativum Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract
Skin ConditioningOleyl Adapalenate
Glycerin
Humectant
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Galactoarabinan
Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Schizophyllan
HumectantPolylysine
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingMagnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dextran
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Squalane, Solanum Tuberosum Pulp Extract, Niacinamide, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract, Oleyl Adapalenate, Glycerin, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Tocopherol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Galactoarabinan, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex, Maltodextrin, Schizophyllan, Polylysine, Tripeptide-1, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Citrate, Magnesium Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dextran, Citric Acid, 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.
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 TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin 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 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.
Water. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan GumOleyl Adapalenate (OA) is a third-generation synthetic retinoid. It's basically adapalene with an oleyl alcohol molecule attached via an ester bond to make it water-soluble.
In the skin, natural esterases in the epidermis are predicted to break that ester bond and convert it into active adapalene. This "smart" delivery system means it can dissolve easily into oils and emollients in a formula, penetrate the skin more effectively, and slowly release adapalene where it's needed.
Another perk? It doesn't share the oxidative instability issues that vitamin A derivatives like retinol or retinaldehyde have.
One 12-week, double-blind, randomized trial found 0.5% OA was better at reducing wrinkle severity, comparable in improving pigment intensity, and was tolerated better than 0.5% retinol.
At 12 weeks, only 5% of the OA group reported burning and 10% reported scaling. The retinol group reported much higher rates of itching, burning, stinging, scaling, and redness.
Just remember this is a relatively new ingredient with limited long-term data; researchers noted the 12 week study's single trial site and short duration as limitations and recommended further studies with more diverse populations and longer timelines.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 0.1% - 0.5%.
Learn more about Oleyl Adapalenate
