What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Heptyl Undecylenate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Swertia Japonica Extract
Skin ConditioningNymphaea Caerulea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Rosea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Dipeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantPvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-4 Oleate
Emulsifying
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Surfactin
CleansingCaproic Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingSodium Acetate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Heptyl Undecylenate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassoside, Panthenol, Allantoin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Swertia Japonica Extract, Nymphaea Caerulea Flower Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Althaea Rosea Flower Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Flower Extract, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, C14-22 Alcohols, Dipeptide-2, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Isopentyldiol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Surfactin, Caproic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, Sodium Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Betaine 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 BetaineCaprylic/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 TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
