What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans
HumectantSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantSoluble Proteoglycan
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEctoin
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Glycosaminoglycans, Saccharide Isomerate, Butylene Glycol, Soluble Proteoglycan, Allantoin, Phenoxyethanol, Ectoin, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dipropylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Tetrasodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientIsoamyl Laurate
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGluconic Acid
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingParfum
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Isoamyl Laurate, Ceramide NP, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glyceryl Caprylate, Gluconic Acid, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Sclerotium Gum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Ether, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Parfum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
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 TriglycerideCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCitric 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 GlycerinSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateWater. 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