What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Phytate
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingPolymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentCeteareth-25
CleansingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientBehenic Acid
CleansingCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCeramide Eos
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningWater, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Maltodextrin, Ceteareth-25, Ceramide NP, Cetyl Alcohol, Lactobacillus, Cholesterol, Behenic Acid, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide As, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialC15-19 Alkane
SolventWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSucrose Polystearate
EmollientSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingMethyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingBisabolol
AntioxidantZea Mays Germ Oil
EmollientVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingAcer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningPolymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantLinoleic Acid
CleansingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingOleic Acid
EmollientPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSuperoxide Dismutase
AntioxidantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantGlutathione
Linolenic Acid
CleansingLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningAcacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Cera/Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
EmollientHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientLecithin
EmollientUbiquinone
AntioxidantCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, C15-19 Alkane, Water, Glycerin, Sucrose Polystearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Bisabolol, Zea Mays Germ Oil, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Beta-Carotene, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Linoleic Acid, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Superoxide Dismutase, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glutathione, Linolenic Acid, Lactobacillus, Acacia Decurrens/Jojoba/Sunflower Seed Cera/Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Lecithin, Ubiquinone, Capryloyl Glycine, Polysorbate 20, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide is a prebiotic. It prevents harmful bacteria from growing on skin by keeping the skin's microbiome in balance.
Another benefit of this ingredient is its antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect our skin from oxidative damage.
This ingredient is a lightweight 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. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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 ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCitric 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 AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidLactobacillus is a type of bacteria with skin conditioning properties. This ingredient has antibacterial and antifungal properties (that's why we can eat fermented foods).
Learn more about the benefits of lactobacillus ferment here.
Fun Fact: Lactobacillus is used to create wine, yogurt, cheese, sauerkraut, pickles, beer, cider, kimchi, cocoa, kefir.
Learn more about LactobacillusMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice comes from the roots of the Yacon plant native to South America. It is a skin conditioning ingredient that helps keep skin feeling soft and hydrated.
Yacon roots are naturally loaded with fructooligosaccharides (FOS), a type of prebiotic sugar. Prebiotics like FOS help feed the "good" bacteria on your skin to support a healthy and balanced environment.
This root juice also contains antioxidant compounds (like chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid).
Just so you know, Yacon belongs to the daisy family so be sure to patch test if you have a known allergy to plants in that family.
Learn more about Polymnia Sonchifolia Root JuiceSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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