What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Aviculare Extract
EmollientPhysalis Angulata Extract
Skin ProtectingDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningUbiquinone
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Bioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Melanin
Skin ProtectingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Batyl Alcohol
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-20
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Silica, Squalane, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Polygonum Aviculare Extract, Physalis Angulata Extract, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Ubiquinone, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Bioflavonoids, Betaine, Melanin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Batyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Panthenol, Ceteareth-20, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
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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 PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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
