What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Herbal Infusion
Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Equisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentPelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Taraxacum Officinale Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose
EmulsifyingCarrageenan
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Lecithin
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHerbal Infusion, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Retinol, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Propolis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Ethylcellulose, Carrageenan, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Alcohol, Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolysilicone-11
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alcohol Denat., Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Glycine Soja Oil, PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinol, Adenosine, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Polysilicone-11, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolRetinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Why is retinol famous?
It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.
Retinol is proven to:
This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).
Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolTocopherol 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 Tocopherol
