What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Trifluoropropyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantStearic Acid
Cleansing
Dextrin
AbsorbentAnastatica Hierochuntica Extract
AstringentSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Oligopeptide-29
Antioxidant
Oligopeptide-32
Antiseborrhoeic
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, C14-22 Alcohols, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Trifluoropropyl Dimethicone, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Arginine, Carbomer, Allantoin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Betaine, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Trehalose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Dextrin, Anastatica Hierochuntica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Beta-Glucan, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Hyaluronic Acid, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Oligopeptide-29, Oligopeptide-32, Potassium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Ceramide EOP
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Beta-Glucan is a soluble polysaccharide (a chain of glucose sugars) sourced from the cells walls of oats, baker's yeast, mushrooms, and seaweed.
It's a rare ingredient that pulls double-duty as a heavy-duty hydrator and skin-soothing repair agent.
On the surface, it acts as a humectant that holds water in place and reduces moisture loss for a plumper, smoother feel, while its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties make it a great pick for calming redness or sensitive skin
The more interesting story is underneath:
Despite its large molecular size, oat beta-glucan has been shown to penetrate the epidermis and reach the dermis by slipping between skin cells. Here, it interacts with fibroblasts and macrophages to nudge collagen synthesis and support wound repair.
A small 2005 split-face clinical study of 27 subjects found topical beta-glucan produced measurable reductions in wrinkle depth, height, and roughness after 8 weeks of use.
It is worth noting the trial was small and the penetration testing used frozen, irradiated skin so the anti-aging data is encouraging rather than definitive.
This ingredient gets along with pretty much everything and is typically used around 0.1-1%.
Fungal acne: This ingredient is not a food source for the Malassezia yeast because it is a glucose polysaccharide with no fatty acid or ester component.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylic/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 ingredient’s 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 TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateWater. 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
