What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventPropanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventStearic Acid
Cleansing
Tromethamine
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Diphenyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantTriethylhexanoin
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Extensin
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide
Antioxidant
Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Nonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycereth-26, Methylpropanediol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Betaine, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Octyldodecanol, Panthenol, Trehalose, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Glucose, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Palmitic Acid, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Bakuchiol, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Stearic Acid, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Triethylhexanoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Sodium Phytate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Extensin, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Carnosine, Copper Tripeptide-1, Nonapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Melatonin
Antioxidant
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolysilicone-11
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester
EmollientC18-36 Acid Triglyceride
EmollientTribehenin
Emollient
PEG-10 Phytosterol
EmulsifyingDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventDimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-14, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Melatonin, Ceramide Ng, Bisabolol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polysilicone-11, Ethoxydiglycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Laurate, C18-36 Acid Glycol Ester, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Tribehenin, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Dimethyl Isosorbide
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 TriglycerideDimethyl Isosorbide is a low-irritation solvent that helps deliver actives into your skin. It is created from glucose.
Research shows how well this ingredient works depends on the active and formulation rather than the concentration alone. This means adding more Dimethyl Isosorbide does not guarantee better penetration of ingredients into the skin.
This ingredient is a retinoid. It usually goes by a more common name: "Granactive".
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes retinol and tretinoin.
Retinoids have been proven to:
So what is the difference between all the retinoids?
Most retinoids need to go through a conversion line to become effective on skin. The ending product is retinoic acid. Retinoic acid is AKA tretinoin.
HPR is an ester of tretinoin. Emerging studies suggest HPR to have an added benefit that other retinoids don't have: Low irritation.
A study from 2021 found HPR to have the greatest stability when exposed to light and temperature out of all the commercial retinoids.
A note about naming:
The name "Granactive" is the trade name and the name most commonly used on packages.
Granactive is the name of the mixture - about 90% solvent and 10% HPR. A product with 5% granactive has 0.5% HPR.
Learn more about Hydroxypinacolone RetinoatePalmitoyl Tripeptide-1 (aka Pal-GHK) is a synthetic signal peptide made of three amino acids attached to palmitic acid.
That fatty acid attachment is the key: it boosts the peptide's ability to penetrate the skin barrier. This puts it closer to the dermal cells where it can actually make a difference.
Once there, it acts as a matrikine, a signaling peptide that prompts fibroblasts to produce more collagen, fibronectin, and hyaluronic acid.
In vitro studies show it can boost collagen production in skin cells even when UV-damaged skin samples were treated with it at a tiny concentration (it almost fully restored dermal collagen at 5ppm). It achieved this at 100x lower concentration than retinoic acid, which needed 500 ppm to do the same thing.
Human clinical data is promising, but modest:
A study of 23 female volunteers found a small but statistically significant increase (~4%) in skin thickness after treatment at 4 ppm.
A separate small trial of 15 women showed statistically significant reductions in wrinkle length, depth, and skin roughness after applying it twice daily for four weeks.
You'll likely see Pal-GHK paired with Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 as part of the Matrixyl 3000 complex.
Fungal acne note:
Usually a palmitic acid component can feed Malassezia in unbound form, but here is is covalently bonded to the peptide. This means it is very difficult for Malassezia to access, and therefore very unlikely to cause fungal acne.
