What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDi-C12-13 Alkyl Malate
EmollientDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingSteareth-21
CleansingLactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSucrose Dilaurate
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera
EmollientBenzoic Acid
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningAcacia Decurrens Flower Cera
Emollient
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, Squalane, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Glycolic Acid, Steareth-2, Steareth-21, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Maltodextrin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sucrose Dilaurate, Jojoba Esters, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Cera, Benzoic Acid, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pisum Sativum Extract, Acacia Decurrens Flower Cera, Polyglycerin-3, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientPropylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDiisopropyl Adipate
EmollientBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Triacontanyl Pvp
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingAscorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
C20-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sucrose Dilaurate
Emollient
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Tetrasodium EDTA
Coconut Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Trehalose
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Spirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingPolyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dimethicone, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diisopropyl Adipate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Silica, Triacontanyl Pvp, Glycerin, C20-22 Alkyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, C20-22 Alcohols, Decyl Glucoside, Maltodextrin, Butylene Glycol, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Glucose, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Glucoside, Sucrose Dilaurate, Benzoic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Coconut Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Tocopheryl Acetate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Trehalose, Propylene Glycol, Pisum Sativum Extract, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Polyquaternium-51
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate is a version of ascorbic acid, or Vitamin C.
This ingredient has many benefits including reducing wrinkles, skin soothing, dark spot fading, and fighting against free radicals.
It helps with dark spot fading by interfering with the process of skin darkening, helping to reduce hyperpigmentation. Like other forms of vitamin C, this ingredient encourages the skin to create more collagen.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
One study found Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate to degrade in sunlight, but is stabilized when combined with acetyl zingerone.
Learn more about Ascorbyl TetraisopalmitateBenzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycyrrhetinic acid is a compound found in licorice. It has skin conditioning, skin soothing, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties.
Not only is this a great ingredient for soothing inflammation, studies show this compound is effective at protecting skin against UV-B induced damage.
Fun fact: This ingredient is also used to mask the bitter taste of medicine.
Learn more about Glycyrrhetinic AcidMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinWe don't have a description for Pisum Sativum Extract yet.
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate is a gentle cleanser and surfactant. It is the sodium salt of the Cocoyl Glutamic Acid and comes from coconut oil. As a surfactant, it helps lift dirt and oil to be washed away.
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate also has an emolliating effect and can help leave the skin feeling soft.
Sodium 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 HydroxideSucrose Dilaurate isn't fungal acne safe.
Tocopherol 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 TocopherolTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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 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
