What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Betaine
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract
EmollientSapindus Mukorossi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningActinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract
EmollientNelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMorus Nigra Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
Emulsifying2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Octyldodecanol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Dimethicone, Isohexadecane, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Betaine, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract, Sapindus Mukorossi Fruit Extract, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract, Nelumbium Speciosum Flower Extract, Morus Nigra Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA
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.
Carbomer 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 CarbomerCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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
