What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingIsostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingMica
Cosmetic ColorantHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Polysilicone-11
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingSaccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Silanetriol
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
Triethylhexanoin, Octyldodecanol, Silica, Dimethicone, Dibutyl Lauroyl Glutamide, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Isostearyl Alcohol, Oleyl Alcohol, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Mica, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Polysilicone-11, Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Ascorbic Acid, Decyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Potassium Sorbate, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Hyaluronic Acid, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Silanetriol, Citric Acid, Sorbic Acid, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides
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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
