What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventBakuchiol
AntimicrobialSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMalus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin ProtectingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingPicea Abies Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates Crosspolymer
AbsorbentPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientGlycolic Acid
BufferingTetrapeptide-21
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialCaffeine
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Bakuchiol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Picea Abies Extract, Allantoin, Acrylates Crosspolymer, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Glycolic Acid, Tetrapeptide-21, Chlorphenesin, Caffeine, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bakuchiol is a plant-derived antioxidant from the seeds of the Psoralea corylifolia plant. It has antimicrobial, emollient, skin conditioning, and antioxidant properties.
You'll likely see it called a "retinol replacement" but the two are technically not related. This is because bakuchiol is able to flip many of the same switches in your skin cells to tell them to:
1) produce more collagen (type I, III, and IV)
2) activate the same genes retinoids do
Unlike retinoids, this ingredient will not increase photosensitivity and is safe to use during pregnancy (but please still check in with your doctor!).
The flagship clinical trial from Dhaliwal et al. 2019 found 0.5% bakuchiol (twice daily) and 0.5% retinol (once daily) reduced wrinkles and hyperpigmentation equally, but bakuchiol had significantly less irritation.
Systematic reviews also back this up:
Bakuchiol is comparable to retinol for photoaging but with better tolerability. It also has mild antibacterial properties against Cutibacterium acnes and antifungal activity in vitro against Candida and dermatophytes.
The reason bakuchiol works well is due to its structure; it is a meroterpene phenol, or a hybrid molecule. The phenol half acts as an antioxidant while the terpene half is fat-loving. This helps the molecule slip through the skin barrier.
This ingredient is usually used between 0.5-2%. Only one case of contact dermatitis has ever been reported for this ingredient.
Learn more about BakuchiolXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum