What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRheum Palmatum Root Extract
Astringent
Astragalus Membranaceus Extract
Antioxidant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Valine
MaskingThreonine
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Phenylalanine
Masking
Histidine
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPCA
Humectant
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Squalane, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Diheptyl Succinate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Madecassoside, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Astragalus Membranaceus Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosphingosine, Sodium PCA, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Alanine, Serine, Aspartic Acid, Valine, Threonine, Proline, Arginine, Phenylalanine, Histidine, Palmitic Acid, Isoleucine, PCA, Lauroyl Lysine, Tocopherol, Cholesterol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Humectant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Octadecene
SolventHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Tromethamine
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Methyl Trimethicone, Stearyl Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Octadecene, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Parfum, Tromethamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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 AlcoholCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 StearateThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
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 HyaluronateTocopherol 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 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
