What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
CleansingGlycol Distearate
EmollientBetaine
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin ConditioningSqualene
EmollientPhytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantPropanediol
SolventHydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingBenzoic Acid
MaskingPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
T-Butyl Alcohol
PerfumingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Glycol Distearate, Betaine, Panthenol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Tocopherol, Propanediol, Hydroxypropyl Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Chloride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Phenethyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, 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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideT-Butyl Alcohol it is most commonly used as a solvent.
At room temperature, T-Butyl Alcohol melts and has a similar smell to camphor.
This ingredient is derived from isobutane. It is the simplest form of a tertiary alcohol. Due to its chemical structure, it is more resistant to oxidation.
Some sources online claim T-Butyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. However, it is not considered one due to its chemical structure.
Learn more about T-Butyl AlcoholTocopherol 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