What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Panthenyl Triacetate
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Cyclodextrin
7-Dehydrocholesterol
Emulsion StabilisingGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract
MaskingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Ornithine
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Lecithin
Emollient
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Lauryl Alcohol
Emollient
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMyristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Panthenyl Triacetate, Ethyl Linoleate, Trehalose, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Oleic Acid, Ceramide Ns, Phospholipids, Methyl Cyclodextrin, 7-Dehydrocholesterol, Glycolipids, Glycine Soja Sterols, Perilla Frutescens Leaf Extract, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Tocopherol, Propanediol, Ornithine, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Cholesterol, Lactobacillus, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lecithin, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Benzyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Lauryl Alcohol, Levulinic Acid, P-Anisic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Oleyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Octyldodecanol, Maltodextrin, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid, Lactic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinOleic Acid is an Omega-9 fatty acid that can be found naturally in your skin's sebum and in many plant oils such as avocado and olive oil.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and prevent moisture loss.
Research shows:
A 1998 study did find that applying oleic acid at higher concentrations may cause irritation and disrupt the skin barrier. Modern formulations typically use low levels that is well-tolerated.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Oleic Acid, at C18, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Oleic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
Learn more about Oleic AcidStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
