What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Cetearyl Olivate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Olivate, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Glycerin, Ascorbic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Calycophyllum Spruceanum Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Squalane
Emollient
Carapa Guianensis Seed Oil
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Prunus Domestica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDecapeptide-52
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bentonite
Absorbent
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cellulose
Absorbent
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Avena Sativa Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Calycophyllum Spruceanum Bark Extract, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Squalane, Carapa Guianensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Decapeptide-52, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Niacinamide, Allantoin, Bentonite, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Cellulose, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Avena Sativa Peptide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl Olivate is a plant-derived emulsifier and texture enhancer. It helps keep the oil and water phases from separating so your formulas stay stable.
You'll likely see it combined with Sorbitan Olivate (together sold as the trade name Olivem 1000). This combination generates a liquid crystal structure that closely resemble the lipid organization of the stratum corneum.
These "skin-like" liquid crystals improve skin barrier integrity and promote the delivery of actives into the skin.
This ingredient is well-tolerated and has no significant sensitization data.
Because it is derived from the fatty acids in olive oil, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl OlivateGlycerin (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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium 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 HyaluronateSorbitan Olivate is created from the fatty acids in olive oil and sorbitol.
This ingredient is an oil in water emulsifier. It helps stabilize a product by preventing oils and waters from separating. Sorbitan Olivate also helps hydrate the skin.
This ingredient is also known as part of Olivem 1000, with Cetearyl Olivate being the other part.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient helps preserve the natural microbiome of skin. Having a healthy microbiome helps keep our skin healthy and protects against harmful bacteria.
Please note, having a healthy microbiome is different from fungal acne; a healthy microbiome includes small amounts of yeast that normally live on your skin without causing problems.
Fungal acne happens when one type of yeast (Malassezia) grows out of control. This is usually because it's feeding on certain oils or fatty acids. Due to the olive oil base, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Sorbitan OlivateTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
