What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate
Emulsifying
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBisabolol
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glyceryl Citrate/Lactate/Linoleate/Oleate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycerin, Retinol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Xanthan Gum, Bisabolol, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is famous for its skin soothing properties. It does this by blocking inflammatory signals, helping to reduce your body's reaction to irritation.
This ingredient also interferes with the process of hyperpigmentation. This can help with reducing dark spots and uneven tone.
Bisabolol is an antioxidant. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells. By fighting these free-radicals, Bisabolol may slow down signs of aging.
Studies have shown Bisabolol to have antimicrobial properties and may be a fungicide. These properties help preserve a product's shelf life.
All these properties makes bisabolol a great skin barrier helper ingredient.
Bisabolol also helps the absorption of other ingredients.
Note: Synthetic Bisabolol has been shown to be less effective.
Learn more about BisabololThis ingredient is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.
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 Retinoate
