What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Spirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingGlycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Tetradecane
Perfuming
Adansonia Digitata Oil
Emollient
Melia Azadirachta Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAmber Powder
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract
TonicCurcuma Longa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Oat Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Glycerin, Water, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Retinyl Palmitate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Tetradecane, Adansonia Digitata Oil, Melia Azadirachta Seed Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Amber Powder, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Flower/Leaf Extract, Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Tocopherol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Oat Amino Acids
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Spirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingLavandula Angustifolia Flower Water
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Agave Rigida
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Water, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Agave Rigida, Retinyl Palmitate, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Salicylic Acid, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract is extract from the neem plant.
The leaves of this tree contain flavonoids and polyphenols. These two compounds are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial. Further research is needed as to their effects when applied on skin.
Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.
This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.
First, Retinyl palmitate is created from palmitic acid and retinol. It is a retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.
This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA retinoic acid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen.
Due to this long and ineffective conversion line, the benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated.
Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:
Dermatologists say this ingredient is ineffective because it isn't used in high enough concentrations in cosmetics.
This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.
The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.
While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UV-A, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is safe to use when used correctly.
All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.
Currently, this ingredient is still allowed in cosmetics all over the world. In Canada, cosmetics must have a warning label stating the product to contain Retinyl Palmitate
Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.
Learn more about Retinyl PalmitateJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilSpirulina Platensis Extract comes from the alga called Spirulina platensis. It has wound-healing, antioxidant, and soothing properties.
Antioxidants help protect the skin against free-radical molecules. These molecules may originate from UV rays or pollution. Spirulina Platensis is rich in beta-carotene, a potent antioxidant.
Spirulina Platensis also contains Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and proteins.
Learn more about Spirulina Platensis ExtractTocopherol 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
