What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientPropanediol
SolventCetyl Alcohol
EmollientDistearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride
C15-19 Alkane
SolventGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningSqualene
EmollientXylitol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Distearoylethyl Dimonium Chloride, C15-19 Alkane, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Beta-Sitosterol, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Squalene, Xylitol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningVegetable Oil
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantJojoba Esters
EmollientAcetyl Ethylhexyl Polyhydroxystearate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientEthylhexyl Acetoxystearate
EmollientLactobionic Acid
BufferingUrea
BufferingZinc PCA
HumectantCalcium PCA
HumectantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Vegetable Oil, Squalane, Glycerin, Jojoba Esters, Acetyl Ethylhexyl Polyhydroxystearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Stearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Acetoxystearate, Lactobionic Acid, Urea, Zinc PCA, Calcium PCA, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol
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 GlycerinTocopherol 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