What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycereth-26
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water
AstringentMicrocitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
EmollientPersea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantSqualane
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Glycereth-26, Panthenol, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Squalane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyacetophenone, Parfum, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingPropanediol
SolventPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCitrus Tangerina Peel Oil
MaskingEpilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycosaminoglycans
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSymphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientLycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
AstringentCoffea Arabica Seed Extract
MaskingEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Morinda Citrifolia Extract
AstringentPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantGarcinia Mangostana Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
MaskingCannabis Sativa Seed/Stem Oil
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Glycosaminoglycans, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Garcinia Mangostana Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Cannabis Sativa Seed/Stem Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWe don't have a description for PPG-26-Buteth-26 yet.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolYou might know this ingredient as pomegranate fruit. It has been shown to have antioxidant, skin soothing and anti-aging benefits.
Pomegranates are rich in antioxidant compounds such as polyphenolic compounds such as ellagic acid, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, and flavonoids.
Both in-vivo and in-vitro studies show pomegranate fruit helps with:
These benefits offer skin anti-aging and skin soothing benefits.
Fun fact: The name pomegranate comes from two latin words: "pome" or apple, and "granate" or "many seeded".
Pomegranate flower extract is often confused for pomegranate fruit extract, but comes from the flowers of the tree.
Learn more about Punica Granatum Fruit Extract