What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPrunus Domestica Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningCentaurea Cyanus Flower Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
EmollientCaffeine
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientAcacia Decurrens Flower Cera
EmollientAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingPolyglycerin-3
HumectantO-Cymen-5-Ol
AntimicrobialTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Domestica Seed Oil, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Pentylene Glycol, Jojoba Esters, Caffeine, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Glyceryl Stearate, Acacia Decurrens Flower Cera, Acacia Senegal Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Polyglycerin-3, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientCaffeine
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
SmoothingTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientSqualane
EmollientPalmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract
AntioxidantOleic Acid
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTerminalia Arjuna Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Dehydroacetate
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLecithin
EmollientSodium Phytate
Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caffeine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Niacinamide, Triheptanoin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Squalane, Palmitoyl Grapevine Shoot Extract, Oleic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Cetyl Alcohol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Terminalia Arjuna Extract, Xanthan Gum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Lecithin, Sodium Phytate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caffeine is most associated with coffee, tea, and cacao. In skincare, it helps with calming inflammation and is rich in antioxidants.
While caffeine is used to treat cellulite and and dark circles, further studies are needed to prove this. It has been believed to help with these skin conditions due to its ability to dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow.
Some studies are looking into caffeine's ability to protect against UV rays.
Learn more about CaffeineThis ingredient is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.
Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum