What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientIsostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientC12-16 Alcohols
EmollientTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Myristyl Nicotinate
Skin ConditioningHeptapeptide-68 Amide Acetate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tetrapeptide-14
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract
HumectantCastor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Isostearyl Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Propanediol, Diheptyl Succinate, C12-16 Alcohols, Triheptanoin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Palmitic Acid, Myristyl Nicotinate, Heptapeptide-68 Amide Acetate, Ceramide NP, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Cholesterol, Ceramide EOP, Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate, Beta-Glucan, Tetrapeptide-14, 1,2-Hexanediol, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, 2,3-Butanediol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Adenosine, Phaeodactylum Tricornutum Extract, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Heparan Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanol
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Heparan Sulfate, Acetyl Glucosamine, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA
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
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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 StearateTocopherol 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
