What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Polylactic Acid
Abrasive
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAcrylamide/Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer
Dimethicone
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPolyisobutene
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Dehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Glutathione
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Azelaic Acid
Buffering
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77713
Cosmetic ColorantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract
Astringent
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Impatiens Balsamina Flower Extract
AstringentLavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Masking
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract
MaskingPrunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Hydrated Silica, Polylactic Acid, Coco-Caprylate, Lactic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hydroxide, Acrylamide/Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer, Dimethicone, Jojoba Esters, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Ascorbic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Chlorphenesin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Alpha-Arbutin, Glutathione, Kojic Acid, Niacinamide, Retinyl Palmitate, Azelaic Acid, CI 19140, CI 73360, CI 77713, Butylene Glycol, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Citrus Grandis Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Impatiens Balsamina Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Pimpinella Anisum Fruit Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide 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 NiacinamideWater. 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
