What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Good for Oily Skin Icon

Synthetic Wax

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Coco-Caprylate/Caprate

Emollient
Coconut Derived Icon

Cetyl Ethylhexanoate

Emollient

Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate

Emollient

Dibutyl Adipate

Emollient

Butyloctyl Salicylate

Skin Conditioning
Non-Reef-Safe Icon

Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer

Silicon IconGood for Oily Skin Icon

Silica

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores Icon

Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate

UV Filter
Chemical UV Filter Icon

Dicaprylyl Carbonate

Emollient

Isopropyl Palmitate

Emollient
3-4 / 1 Bad for Acne Prone Skin IconMay worsen Oily Skin IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Ethylhexyl Triazone

UV Absorber
UV Protection IconChemical UV Filter Icon

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Diethylhexyl 2,6-Naphthalate

Emollient

Vinyldimethicone

Silicon Icon

Polysilicone-15

UV Filter
Silicon IconChemical UV Filter Icon

Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine

Skin Conditioning
UV Protection IconChemical UV Filter Icon

Ozokerite

Emulsion Stabilising

Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract

Emollient

Curcuma Longa Root Extract

Masking
Fragrance Icon

Corallina Officinalis Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract

Skin Conditioning

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cleansing
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract

Astringent

Diospyros Kaki Leaf Extract

Skin Protecting
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Castanea Crenata Shell Extract

Skin Conditioning

Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract

Skin Conditioning

Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Coffea Arabica Seed Extract

Masking
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation Icon

Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract

Skin Conditioning

Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract

Antioxidant
Antioxidant Icon

Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil

Emollient
0-2 / 0 Oil IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Sodium Hyaluronate

Humectant
0 / 0 Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Bisabolol

Antioxidant
Antioxidant IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Glyceryl Caprylate

Emollient

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Water

Skin Conditioning

Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid

Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Hyaluronic Acid

Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Reviews

4.36
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Great Value 73% Works Well 45% Light 36%
3.55
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Light 56% Absorbs Well 44% Works Well 33%

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 
Emollient, Humectant, Skin Conditioning

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 Glycol
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin 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 Ethylhexylglycerin
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin (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 Glycerin
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Water. 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

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