What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Carrageenan
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Ceratonia Siliqua Gum
EmollientCucumis Sativus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Calcium Chloride
AstringentCyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSucrose
Humectant
Calendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Chloride
Ethyl Hexanediol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Octanediol
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
CI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Carrageenan, Caffeine, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua Gum, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Tocopherol, Calcium Chloride, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Sucrose, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Chondrus Crispus, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Propanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cellulose Gum, Potassium Chloride, Ethyl Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Octanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, CI 77288
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Keiskei Extract
Antioxidant
Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Glucose
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Squalane, Behenyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Extract, Angelica Keiskei Extract, Corchorus Olitorius Leaf Extract, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Caffeine, Bakuchiol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Arachidyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Phytate, Glucose, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol 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
