What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triacetin
AntimicrobialLactic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Sphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Steareth-20
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalene
Emollient
Ceteth-20
CleansingPEG-75 Stearate
Surfactant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Coco-Caprylate, Urea, Propanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Triacetin, Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Madecassoside, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Steareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene, Ceteth-20, PEG-75 Stearate, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Trehalose
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinal
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Collagen
Moisturising
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8
Skin Conditioning
Dextran
Water, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Bakuchiol, Trehalose, Behenyl Alcohol, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Glucose, Fructooligosaccharides, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinal, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Collagen, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-8, Dextran
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 StearateTocopherol 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
