What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Betaine
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Bentonite
Absorbent
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract
AstringentHelianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSea Water
HumectantTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Callus Culture Extract, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearyl Alcohol, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Betaine, Propanediol, Bentonite, Allantoin, Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sea Water, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Aminomethyl Propanol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Parfum
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Betaine
Humectant
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Bisabolol, Betaine, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, CI 77891
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinBetaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
