What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isohexadecane
EmollientC32-36 Isoalkyl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientBis-PEG-12 Dimethicone Beeswax
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Phenoxyethanol, Isohexadecane, C32-36 Isoalkyl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Soluble Collagen, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone Beeswax, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Stearic Acid, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Petrolatum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Cera Alba
Emollient
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Poloxamer 338
EmulsifyingSorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDimethiconol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Rhamnose, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Zea Mays Starch, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Petrolatum, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Cera Alba, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Adenosine, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Triethanolamine, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Poloxamer 338, Sorbitan Tristearate, Xanthan Gum, Dimethiconol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium 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 HyaluronateWater. 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 WaterZea Mays Starch is starch made from corn. You might know this as cornstarch . It is used to thicken a product. It can replace talc as an absorbent.
The pH of cornstarch is 5.92.
Cornstarch is a common food ingredient used to thicken soups or to make corn syrup.
Learn more about Zea Mays Starch
