What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil
Skin Protecting
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Malt Extract
Skin ProtectingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xylose
HumectantFructan
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Lactate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-40 Stearate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Panthenol, Glycine Soja Oil, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Oil, Lactic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium Phytate, Malt Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xylose, Fructan, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglutamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Butylene Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, T-Butyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Silica
Abrasive
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantDisodium EDTA
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyurethane Crosspolymer-1
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-8
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Faex
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPhenylpropanol
Masking
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Cetyl Alcohol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Silica, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Glycine Soja Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, CI 77891, Disodium EDTA, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyurethane Crosspolymer-1, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Retinol, PEG-8, Tocopherol, Faex, Pentylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenylpropanol, CI 19140, Phenethyl Alcohol, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Callus Culture Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateGlycine Soja Oil is a plant-derived oil from soybean seeds. Like other oils, it is rich in essential fatty acids (mostly linoleic and oleic) that support skin hydration and barrier function.
The fatty acids are able to integrate into the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum to help soften skin and reduce water loss.
On top of that, soybean oil is rich in vitamins like vitamin E, a potent antioxidant.
Research on soybean's active components also point to anti-inflammatory, collagen-stimulating, antioxidant activity, and protection against UV-induced oxidative damage.
Most of this research applies to the broader soybean plant and not just the oil fraction alone.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe due to the oleic acid content.
Learn more about Glycine Soja OilPhenoxyethanol 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.
Retinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Why is retinol famous?
It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.
Retinol is proven to:
This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).
Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolWater. 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
