What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDiethylhexyl Succinate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyacrylamide
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Water, Diethylhexyl Succinate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycolic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Potassium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Retinol, Lactic Acid, Urea, Squalane, Glycerin, Phospholipids, Ubiquinone, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyacrylamide, Laureth-7, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Oxidized Glutathione
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ceteareth-20
CleansingLecithin
Emollient
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingZinc Ricinoleate
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Squalane
Emollient
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phytic Acid
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melatonin
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tranexamic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Arbutin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Behenate, Kojic Acid, Oxidized Glutathione, Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-20, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Zinc Ricinoleate, Arginine Hcl, Azelaic Acid, Squalane, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phytic Acid, Allantoin, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Melatonin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Reviews
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 ingredientās final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
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.
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 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.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, itās technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term āoil-freeā isnāt regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
