What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Lactose
HumectantBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Yogurt Powder
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningCichorium Intybus Root Extract
MaskingCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Olus Oil
Emollient
Camelina Sativa Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Lactis Proteinum
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Bulnesia Sarmientoi Wood Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Fruit Oil
Astringent
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Juniperus Mexicana Oil
Masking
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTribehenin
Emollient
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
PEG-10 Phytosterol
EmulsifyingPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningInulin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate
Sodium Glycolate
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, PEG-8, Dimethicone, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Lactose, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Yogurt Powder, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Cichorium Intybus Root Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Olus Oil, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lactic Acid, Lactis Proteinum, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Bulnesia Sarmientoi Wood Oil, Citrus Limon Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Carbomer, Tribehenin, Ceramide Ng, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Ethylhexylglycerin, Inulin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Trisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate, Sodium Glycolate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Dunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningAstaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Glycerin, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetyl Palmitate, Spilanthes Acmella Flower Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sorbitan Palmitate, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Astaxanthin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Citric Acid
Reviews
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 AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Squalane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
