What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrolyzed Algin
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Squalane, Dicaprylyl Ether, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Jojoba Esters, Hydroxyacetophenone, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrolyzed Algin, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Water
Masking
Malva Sylvestris Leaf Water
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Phytic Acid
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Water, Malva Sylvestris Leaf Water, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Sodium Levulinate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Parfum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Phytic Acid, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 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
