What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Glutathione
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycine
Buffering
Cystine
MaskingSodium PCA
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Disodium EDTA
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
BHT
Antioxidant
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Carbonate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Potassium Chloride
Iron Oxides
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glutathione, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycine, Cystine, Sodium PCA, Petrolatum, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Coco-Glucoside, BHT, Benzoic Acid, Citric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Carbonate, Tocopherol, Potassium Chloride, Iron Oxides
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydrogenated Rice Bran Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientDiisostearyl Malate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPanax Ginseng Root Water
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Acutiloba Root Extract
Skin ConditioningOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Mannitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Glycine Max Oil
Emollient
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Canola Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Rice Bran Oil, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Diisostearyl Malate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, C14-22 Alcohols, Arachidyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Caprylate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Perilla Ocymoides Seed Extract, Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Mannitol, Glucose, Glycine Max Oil, Myristic Acid, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Arachidic Acid, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Silica, Phytosphingosine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopherol, Canola Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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
