What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSafflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Squalane, Dicaprylyl Ether, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Glyceryl Behenate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Inulin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Panthenol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Citric Acid, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Erythritol
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Homarine Hcl
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Erythritol, Glycine Soja Oil, Homarine Hcl, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, 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.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol 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
