What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Squalane
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningDextrin Palmitate
EmulsifyingBehenyl/Oleyl Behenate/Oleate Esters
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingHyaluronic Acid
HumectantBetaine
HumectantUbiquinone
AntioxidantCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningSerine
MaskingAlanine
MaskingGlycine
BufferingLysine Hcl
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Arginine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningPCA
HumectantSodium PCA
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingNeohesperidin Dihydrochalcone
MaskingMannitol
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPhosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingDecyl Glucoside
CleansingBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingSqualene
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSqualane, Water, Dextrin Palmitate, Behenyl/Oleyl Behenate/Oleate Esters, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Sorbitan Olivate, Gluconolactone, Microcrystalline Wax, Hyaluronic Acid, Betaine, Ubiquinone, Ceramide Ng, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, PCA, Sodium PCA, Glycerin, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone, Mannitol, Tocopherol, Cetyl Alcohol, Phosphatidylcholine, Decyl Glucoside, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Polyisobutene
Tridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningDextrin Palmitate
EmulsifyingSilica Dimethyl Silylate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantEthylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium DNA
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantButylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer
Propanediol
SolventSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantBrassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentHyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Sodium DNA
Skin ConditioningTripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantMyrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf/Stem Extract
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantPantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantPolyglutamic Acid
Skin ConditioningXylose
HumectantAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantPolyisobutene, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Water, Dextrin Palmitate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopherol, Ethylene/Propylene/Styrene Copolymer, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium DNA, Butylene Glycol, Butylene/Ethylene/Styrene Copolymer, Propanediol, Saccharide Isomerate, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium DNA, Tripeptide-1, Glycerin, Myrothamnus Flabellifolia Leaf/Stem Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Pantothenic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Ascorbic Acid, Polyglutamic Acid, Xylose, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDextrin Palmitate is an oil-loving texture helper made by bonding palmitic acid onto Dextrin. It's main roles are to turn liquid oils into spreadable gels and prevent ingredients from separating.
It also lends a silky, non-greasy slip that makes products feel more elegant.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.5-5%, but can go up to 10% depending on how firm the gel is.
Because it's an ester built on a fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Dextrin PalmitateEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidTocopherol 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