What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sophora Flavescens Root Extract
Antioxidant
Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract
Antimicrobial
Morus Alba Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Gigas Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonum Multiflorum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningThiamine Hcl
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Arachidonate
Emollient
Glyceryl Linolenate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Arginine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
EDTA
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Vegetable Oil, Glycerin, Adenosine, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Polysorbate 60, PEG-100 Stearate, Retinol, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Hexapeptide-9, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Glycine Soja Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Extract, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract, Morus Alba Bark Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Angelica Gigas Root Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Squalane, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Bakuchiol, Caffeine, Ceramide NP, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Retinyl Palmitate, Biotin, Folic Acid, Thiamine Hcl, Cyanocobalamin, Glyceryl Arachidonate, Glyceryl Linolenate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Arginine, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Palmitic Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 20, BHT, Disodium EDTA, EDTA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.
As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.
The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.
However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.
Learn more about BHTCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredientās final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideRetinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Why is retinol famous?
It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.
Retinol is proven to:
This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).
Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, itās technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term āoil-freeā isnāt regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about Squalane
