What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingParfum
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Crambe Maritima Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propanediol, Glycereth-26, Polysorbate 20, Glycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Aminomethyl Propanol, Parfum, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Retinyl Palmitate, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Crambe Maritima Leaf Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Limon Fruit Oil
Astringent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningSuperoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Limon Fruit Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycine Soja Protein, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Superoxide Dismutase, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate
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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
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.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
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 Water
