What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Opuntia Tuna Flower/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Aristotelia Chilensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Riboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Gamma-Undecalactone
Perfuming
Gamma-Decalactone
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Betaine, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Opuntia Tuna Flower/Stem Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Aristotelia Chilensis Fruit Extract, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Laurate, Squalane, Carbomer, Hyaluronic Acid, Allantoin, Panthenol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Riboflavin, Triethyl Citrate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Gamma-Undecalactone, Gamma-Decalactone, Tocopherol, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Rhizobian Gum
Phytic Acid
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCeteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Citrate
BufferingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Kaolin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Glycerin, Saccharide Isomerate, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Rhizobian Gum, Phytic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cetyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Ceteareth-20, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Isostearate, C14-22 Alcohols, Polysorbate 60, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Citrate, Chlorphenesin
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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol 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 TocopherolTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
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
