Westman Atelier Liquid Super Loaded All-Over Illuminator Drops with Vitamin C Versus Kosas Glow I.V. Vitamin-Infused Skin Enhancer
What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Squalane
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningMica
Cosmetic ColorantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientPunica Granatum Seed Oil
EmollientCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
AntioxidantGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingHydrolyzed Yeast Protein
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingGlyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantDimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientLimonene
PerfumingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantBisabolol
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTin Oxide
AbrasiveCitral
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingSqualane, Water, Persea Gratissima Oil, Mica, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Hydrolyzed Yeast Protein, Parfum, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Butylene Glycol, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Limonene, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tin Oxide, Citral, Linalool, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningUndecane
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientC13-15 Alkane
SolventCalcium Aluminum Borosilicate
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Glycerin
HumectantPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate
EmulsifyingTridecane
PerfumingMica
Cosmetic ColorantGalactoarabinan
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientSqualane
EmollientPropanediol
SolventBioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningFructooligosaccharides
HumectantGlycoproteins
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Extract
EmollientRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin ConditioningGigartina Stellata Extract
Skin ProtectingGlutathione
Magnolol
AntioxidantHonokiol
AntioxidantPolyglyceryl-6 Laurate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Palmitate
EmulsifyingZea Mays Oil
EmulsifyingPhytonadione Epoxide
AstringentCholecalciferol
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytic Acid
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCI 77163
Cosmetic ColorantTin Oxide
AbrasiveCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Undecane, Octyldodecanol, C13-15 Alkane, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Polyricinoleate, Tridecane, Mica, Galactoarabinan, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Squalane, Propanediol, Bioflavonoids, Fructooligosaccharides, Glycoproteins, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Gigartina Stellata Extract, Glutathione, Magnolol, Honokiol, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Zea Mays Oil, Phytonadione Epoxide, Cholecalciferol, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Xanthan Gum, Phytic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Gluconate, Pentylene Glycol, Phenethyl Alcohol, CI 77163, Tin Oxide, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (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 GlycerinMica is a naturally occurring mineral used to add shimmer and color in cosmetics. It can also help improve the texture of a product or give it an opaque, white/silver color.
Serecite is the name for very fine but ragged grains of mica.
This ingredient is often coated with metal oxides like titanium dioxide. Trace amounts of heavy metals may be found in mica, but these metals are not harmful in our personal products.
Mica has been used since prehistoric times throughout the world. Ancient Egyptian, Indian, Greek, Roman, Aztec, and Chinese civilizations have used mica.
Learn more about MicaPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilThis ingredient is an emulsifier. It is created from Polyglycerin-3 and Ricinoleic Acid.
As an emulsifier, it prevents waters and oils from separating. According to a manufacturer this ingredient is fully biodegradable.
This ingredient may not be safe for Malassezia folliculitis due to its Ricinoleic Acid base. Ricinoleic Acid is a fatty acid derived from castor oil.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-3 PolyricinoleateSqualane 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, it’s 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 “oil-free” isn’t 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 SqualaneSynthetic Fluorphlogopite is the synthethic version of mica. It consists of fluorine, aluminum and silicate.
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite is used to add volume to products.
It is considered non-irritating on the skin.
Learn more about Synthetic FluorphlogopiteTin Oxide is an inorganic oxide used to add opacity and volume to a product. In nature, it is already found in mineral form. The main ore of tin is an opaque and shiny mineral called casseterite.
Tin Oxide helps remove translucency in a product, or make it more opaque. Besides adding opacity, tin oxide is used for bulking to add volume.
Water. 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