What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrapeptide-21
Skin Conditioning
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isopropyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Caffeine, Stearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Betaine, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrapeptide-21
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Medicago Sativa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Juice
Skin ConditioningWater, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Saccharide Isomerate, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Disodium EDTA, Medicago Sativa Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Zingiber Officinale Root Juice
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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
