What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Pistacia Vera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Papain
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Tetrahydropiperine
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Syzygium Luehmannii Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Acronychia Acidula Fruit Extract
HumectantDavidsonia Pruriens Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ammonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Pistacia Vera Seed Oil, Polysorbate 60, Ethoxydiglycol, Propylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, C12-14 Pareth-12, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Trehalose, Phenoxyethanol, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Papain, Parfum, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Tetrahydropiperine, Lactic Acid, Panthenol, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Syzygium Luehmannii Fruit Extract, Acronychia Acidula Fruit Extract, Davidsonia Pruriens Fruit Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Zinc Gluconate, Caffeine, Citronellol, Geraniol, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDecyl Oleate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingOlive Oil Decyl Esters
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Squalene
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Citric Acid
Buffering
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Emollient
Water, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Decyl Oleate, Dimethicone, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Olive Oil Decyl Esters, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycine Soja Sterols, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenylpropanol, Ceramide NP, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Squalene, Sodium PCA, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Cetyl Palmitate, Ceteareth-12, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Glycine Soja Oil, Benzoic Acid, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
