What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Olivate
Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Squalane, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Olivate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Ceramide NP, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Adenosine, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmaria Palmata Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetyl Alcohol, Palmaria Palmata Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
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 GlycerinThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate is created from the diester of stearic acid and the condensation product of methylglucose and Polyglycerin-3.
As an emulsifier, it is used to bind ingredients together. Many ingredients, such as oils and water, separate naturally. Emulsifiers prevent them from separating to ensure even consistency in texture.
One of the manufacturer for this ingredient states it is vegetable-based. It is also claimed to be stable at both high and low temperatures.
This ingredient may not be safe for fungal acne. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose DistearateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, itâs technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term âoil-freeâ isnât regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
