What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPolyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Nylon-12
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTin Oxide
Abrasive
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolymethyl Methacrylate
Glyceryl Caprate
EmollientBHT
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Isoquercetin
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclomethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Oleate, Nylon-12, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Tin Oxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Chloride, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Glyceryl Caprate, BHT, Retinol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Isoquercetin, Propylene Glycol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientAdipic Acid/Diglycol Crosspolymer
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingErythorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
BHT
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Adipic Acid/Diglycol Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Squalane, Glycerin, Bisabolol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Citrate, Erythorbic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, BHT, Retinol, Tocopherol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
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 BHTThis 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 TriglycerideCyclopentasiloxane, or D5, is a silicone used to improve texture of products and trap moisture.
D5 is considered lightweight and volatile. Volatile means it evaporates quickly after application. Once evaporated, D5 leaves a thin barrier that helps keep skin hydrated.
It is also an emollient. Emollients help soften the skin and prevent water loss. Silicones create a silky texture in products. D5 helps other ingredients become more spreadable.
Studies show D5 is safe to use in skincare products. We recommend speaking with a skincare professional if you have concerns.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneThis ingredient is a silicone elastomer that works as a texture enhancer, adds a silky slip, and also helps absorb excess oil.
Because it's a large macromolecule that's insoluble in water and chemically inert, it's not expected to penetrate or be absorbed into skin.
Human patch tests with a facial lotion containing 1% of this ingredient found no sensitization.
Learn more about Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone CrosspolymerGlycerin (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 GlycerinIsononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.
As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.
Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.
Learn more about Isononyl IsononanoateRetinol 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 RetinolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
