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Welcome to Skincarma.

These are the musings of Carmine Montalto, NYC-based writer, skincare junkie and brand guru. The former copywriter at Kiehl’s, Carmine has more than 25 years of experience in beauty. Through the Skincarma Blog, he puts all of his product wisdom to work demystifying the ever-evolving world of skin care. 

You can change your skin’s destiny.™

SUMMER MOISTURIZERS PART I – SOME OF THE BEST LIGHTWEIGHT FACE CREAMS FOR OILY SKIN AND ALL SKIN TYPES IN HOT WEATHER
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I survived my week of veganism!

I went up to Connecticut again last Saturday for lunch with my mother and, of course, I had to have my favorite lobster roll. That lobster roll was the last non-vegetable I ate.

It sure was a great “last meal.”

In yet the latest effort to get my migraines completely under control, I sought out my nutritionist for the first time since the pandemic began.

Dr. Passler decided to put me on a 100% plant-based diet for a week. No chicken, no lobster, no fruit. Seriously, nary a cherry! Then, two days into it, to target inflammation in my body, he amped up my 100% plant-based diet to a 100% plant-based soup diet.

Aside from my morning oatmeal, I have literally eaten nothing but homemade soups for four straight days now. Good thing I know how to cook! I’ve actually made tasty fresh soup every day, including roasted butternut squash soup, mixed veggie soup — and perhaps my masterpiece, potato leek soup just yesterday. Man, I want it now.

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Interestingly, over the last few weeks the nutritionist and I have zeroed in on a category of foods that are high in what’s called histamine. If you’ve ever taken an anti-histamine for an allergic reaction, you know what a histamine reaction feels like. Your head, sinuses, throat seem to become inflamed and fill up with mucus. That’s often caused by pollen and other environmental allergies.

But histamine intolerance in foods isn’t actually an allergy. It’s the result of a lack of an enzyme in the digestive system called diamine oxidase (DAO).

According to the all-things-health website Healthline,

DAO keeps histamine levels in a healthy range to avoid uncomfortable histamine-induced symptoms. Summary Diamine oxidase (DAO) is an enzyme that helps break down excess histamine in your body, thus easing uncomfortable symptoms, such as nasal congestion, itchy skin, headaches, and sneezing.

And the list of foods that are high in histamine includes some of my favorites — aged cheese, tomatoes, eggplant, chocolate and, oddly, salty snacks! WTF. I’m the potato chip king. All of them are apparent migraine triggers. Contrary to what my doctors focus on — preventing migraines and stopping them when they start — I’m determined to fine out what’s causing them to begin with.

The mission continues…

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The skincare stuff starts here.

Exactly a year ago this week, I had the idea of crafting a blog article about lightweight summer moisturizers. There’s nothing worse than skin care that’s too heavy in the heat. I got really, really into it and actually ended up writing two separate articles — each of which covered five distinct moisturizers for oily skin and all skin types in summer. After all, we’re all kinda oily on hot, humid days! Summer is the great skin equalizer.

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In the first article, titled Super Lightweight Summer Moisturizers Part I (available to read here), I highlighted a couple of true moisturizing icons — the Dr. Jart Ceramidin Liquid and Dr. Dennis Gross’ Hyaluronic Marine Oil-Free Moisture Cushion. Both are legit lightweight hydrators for hot weather.

In the second of the series, Super Lightweight Summer Moisturizers Part II, I featured a couple of new gel-cream entrants at the time, including the popular Clinique Moisture Surge 72-Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator and Kiehl’s Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream. In the year since, each has become a mainstay for treating both dehydrated and oily skin. I guess I was onto something, huh?

So here I am a year later, looking at the plethora of moisturizers I’ve accumulated in my journey. A lot has changed in skin care in the last year. Of course, there are entirely new brands that didn’t even exist last summer, including SELF/ish, Organic the New Beauty and Feuillete — all of which are featured below. These three new brands are joined by two established brands, The Inkey List and First Aid Beauty.


*WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF SUMMER MOISTURIZERS PART I ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**


What all five brands in Part I have in common — a characteristic that none of the brands in my articles last summer shared — is that they’re clean. The brands’ formulas are devoid of common toxins, parabens, fragrance, sulfates, formaldehydes, essential oils, drying alcohol and even environmentally unsound micro-plastics.

These moisturizers are all pro-skin health. And in the case of Organic the New Beauty, even 100% skin active — meaning that every single ingredient in the brand’s formulas has a skin benefit. That’s rarely, if ever, the case with skin care. And it’s a really big deal.

Let’s take a look at the first five of my clean summer moisturizer picks in this year’s two-part series…

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Organic the New Beauty Clear 1% Centella Cream Serum

There’s a lot that I consider remarkable about Organic the New Beauty’s Clear 1% Centella Cream Serum from The Clean Beauty Co. Indeed, it’s likely the cleanest skincare product I’ve ever applied to my skin. Formulated with 100% natural and 90% organic ingredients, this moisturizer is completely devoid of any potential skin irritants.

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But while those percentages are noteworthy, what I love most about the Clear 1% Centella Cream Serum is that 100% of the vegan formula is skin active. What that means in laymen’s terms is that every single ingredient in the formula benefits the skin.

That may seem odd to you. You may be asking yourself, is it really the case that there are ingredients in my moisturizers, serums, cleansers and toners that aren’t beneficial to my skin?

The answer is, quite remarkably, yes; yes there are.

A skin care formula is a lot like a cupcake, composed of ingredients that benefit you, the eater of said cupcake, and ingredients that really don’t.

Putting nutrition aside for a second (a cupcake could hardly be considered nutritious, right?!), think about the colored frosting. Does the food-grade dye have any benefit to your body? Of course not. It’s simply decorative. It benefits the aesthetics of the cupcake — making it prettier, more appealing, and ultimately more enjoyable.

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The same goes for skin care.

Certainly, all skin care — every moisturizer, serum, cleanser and toner — is composed of ingredients that have an active skin benefit. The most familiar active ingredients include antioxidant vitamins, nourishing lipids and oils, soothing botanical extracts, and more.

But there are numerous ingredients in a skincare product that are like the food dye in cupcake frosting that benefit the product itself. They enhance the product’s texture, facilitate absorption into the skin barrier, preserve the formula from degradation — and even make that moisturizer smell like roses. These inactive ingredients have no real benefit when it comes to skin health.

And then there’s all that water. In the case of water, which very often makes up 60-70% of a skincare formula, there is little significant benefit to the skin. In fact, when it comes to topical application of a skincare product, water is useless.

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The H2O molecule doesn’t penetrate the skin barrier! Applying water isn’t how we hydrate our bodies. If it were, we wouldn’t need to drink water throughout the day. Our morning shower would be all the hydration we’d need. Clean up, soak it up and go!

The Organic the New Beauty Clear 1% Centella Cream Serum is loaded with active goodness for the skin.

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To start, the formula’s distinguishing characteristic is what the brand describes as a “bio-lamellar phospholipid” structure derived from plant cells. This complex of plant cell lipids melds perfectly with the skin.

That means the product doesn’t just sit on the skin’s surface, or barely penetrate; rather, it melts deeply into the skin, deeper than a conventional moisturizer has the ability to do. It fills the skin with lipids, all the while pulling those good-for-skin actives in the product along with it.

That proprietary delivery technology of the Clear 1% Centella Cream Serum is only the beginning of what makes this particular moisturizer so remarkable.

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In an aloe vera base instead of useless water, the formula contains a blend of 1% Centella Aciatica, 1% Mastic Oil, and even 1% Bakuchiol Extract — the popular anti-aging alternative to Retinol.

Mastic Oil is such a fascinating option for a moisturizer that targets oilier skin types with a concern for pores. Mastic is extracted from the pistacia lentiscus​ tree, a member of the cashew family, and indigenous to dry areas of the Eastern Mediterranean, in particular Greece. Its mastic resin is only harvested from the southern part of the Greek island of Chios. Greek lore is steeped in mastic. In fact, the Greeks refer to the mastic resin that oozes from the trees as the “tears of Chios.”

Mastic Oil has powerful antimicrobial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and has been shown to neutralize impurities in the skin. That’s gold for oily and acne prone skin types.

A further scan of the INCI and I see there’s also a boost of skin nourishment with bio-fermented water kefir grains. I love fermented actives in skin care — and am heartened by the trend out of A-beauty.

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One my favorite things about Organic the New Beauty’s game-changing moisturizer is its fast-absorbing texture — making it ideal for use in warmer climates. You apply this stuff and maybe 30 seconds later it’s gone — right through your skin barrier.

That bio-lamellar lipid structure is responsible for the swift absorption, pulling the mastic, centella and bakuchiol deep into the skin’s surface layers. The Clear 1% Centella Cream Serum is such a brilliant, innovative moisturizer — a real standout this summer.

SHOP THE BLOG: For a limited time, save 20% on all skin care from The Clean Beauty Co. Purchase the Organic the New Beauty Clear 1% Centella Cream Serum for $55.20 here with code SKINCARMA20OFF. Simply enter the code at checkout.


**SKINCARMA EXCLUSIVE**

SAVE 20% OFF ALL SKINCARE FROM ORGANIC THE NEW BEAUTY WITH CODE SKINCARMA20OFF. CLICK HERE AND ENTER CODE AT CHECKOUT.



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The Inkey List Peptide Moisturizer

I’m a day-one fan of The Inkey List and no blog article on my summer moisturizer faves would be complete without a selection from the breakout democratically priced brand. In fact, Inkey’s $10 Snow Mushroom Hydrating Gel Moisturizer was featured in Part I of my summer moisturizers last year!

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The Inkey List has been an innovation machine over the last 12 months but especially since the beginning of this year.

The brand has introduced several terrific products, four of which I reviewed in a recent blog article titled, Dope New Facial Skincare Products from The Inkey List That Caught My Eye! (You can catch it here.)

In it, I featured one of my favorite new cleansers — Inkey’s Oat Cleansing Balm. Man, that stuff is nirvanaaaaah.

While Inkey has been on a hot streak introducing cool, new products every month, the brand has also been hard at work cleaning up its act. This summer, all of Inkey’s formulas — old and new — are now categorized as clean. Bravo, guys!

Among their cool product innovations is the brand’s new Peptide Moisturizer. It’s a nice, lightweight moisturizer for all skin types — but with a little anti-aging kick. The $15 Peptide Moisturizer is formulated with two forms of peptides.

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The first is a 2% concentration of Royal Epigen P5, which purportedly “helps to even skin tone and delay the aging of skin cells.” This intriguing, new peptide mimics the epigenetic activity of royal jelly — the nutrient-rich secretion that supports the development and ultimate lifespan of the queens in a beehive.

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Long live the queen!

Studies have shown that Royal Epigen P5 may help activate skin cells function, stimulate skin regeneration and wound healing, and improve and unify skin tone.

I told you Inkey was bringing it with the innovation!

Peptide Moisturizer also contains a one-percent concentration of what the brand terms a “hydrating peptide solution” to help fortify the skin barrier against moisture loss.

Are you sensing a theme here — summer is all about giving your skin what it needs to hold onto as much moisture as it can.

Inkey’s vegan formula is refreshingly lightweight and silky — a touch heavier than a gel-cream. It’s not an overly complex formula; but it’s a nice option for summer and at just $15, you can’t go wrong.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase The Inkey List Peptide Moisturizer for $14.99 here.



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First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer

If you have a concern for excess oil that leaves you looking like a grease pit in the humid summer months, the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer may be your go-to moisturizer.

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I took a deep dive into First Aid Beauty’s skin care in a blog article several weeks ago titled, First Aid Beauty and the Best Facial Skincare for Sensitive Skin. (Catch it here.)

Truthfully, if you have sensitive skin, experience redness or other forms of bizarre skin irritation each day, FAB was made for you.

First Aid Beauty was founded in 2009 by Lilli Gordon, a mother, grandmother, and entrepreneur with a background in beauty who, like so many, struggled with sensitive skin.

From the get-go, I recognized that First Aid Beauty’s products were formulated to calm skin, prevent irritation — and deliver nothing that could antagonize the skin, particularly sensitive and sensitized skin.

The brand uses tried-and-true, soothing ingredients like Colloidal Oatmeal, Oat Kernel Extract, Shea Butter, Feverfew Extract, even honey, at active levels. Funny enough, Feverfew is also recommended as a daily supplement for people who manage migraines! Who knew?!

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The FAB Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer is one of two gel-creams among this first five of my summer moisturizer picks.

The clean, oil-free formula is also the lightest of them. In fact, Ultra Repair Oil-Control is as light as air and feels virtually weightless on the skin — something I know people with oily skin can appreciate.

It’s more oil control than moisturizer, though.

Since there are no oils, it doesn’t actually infuse skin with moisture; rather it helps prevent moisture and water loss through the inclusion of Dimethicone and a small amount of humectant Sodium Hyaluronate — the salt form of Hyaluronic Acid that’s the most skin-compatible.

Controlling surface oils is the main benefit of the Ultra Repair Oil-Control formula. FAB achieves that with what the brand refers to as Oil-Absorbing Microspheres — a blend of mineral powders that absorb excess sebum on the surface of the skin to mattify the complexion.

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In addition, FAB’s Oil-Absorbing Technology “works to absorb sebum, minimize the look of pores, and reduce shine over time.”

There’s a concentration of about 3% Niacinamide in the formula, too, which would help to minimize the look of pores by freeing them of dirt, grime and excess sebum. If you have a real concern for clogged pores, I’d actually recommend applying a more potent Niacinamide serum prior to applying the Ultra Repair Oil-Control.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer for $32 here.


*WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF SUMMER MOISTURIZERS PART I ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**


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SELF/ish Oil-Free Moisturizer

It brings me such great pleasure to introduce you to the new, clean men’s skincare brand, SELF/ish! The brand was founded by a group of guys and friends of mine, all skincare enthusiasts, living their best life in sunny Southern California.

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SELF/ish has been a labor of love for them and has taken two years to get off the ground. I’m so honored (and proud!) to share that I advised on the formulas and packaging along the way.

“SELF/ish is built for the unapologetically unique man who is uncompromising in his pursuit of the best for himself.” - Co-Founder Andrew Knox

The brand recently launched with a full range of clean, effective, vitamin-infused skin care — seven products in all; and all democratically priced — ranging from $12-$25. Notably, the SELF/ish daily skincare routine for men includes a facial scrub, eye cream, moisturizer, exfoliating pads and a face cleanser that I’m highly obsessed with. The entire seven-product routine costs little more than $100!

To start, let’s take a look at the really well-formulated, clean and vegan SELF/ish Oil-Free Moisturizer!

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The SELF/ish Oil-Free Moisturizer is a relatively lightweight lotion for face — with a kick. Like all of the SELF/ish products, it’s powered by a vitamin complex of B5, C, E and the Vitamin A alternative, Bakuchiol.

It’s also got a hefty blend of antioxidants beyond the brand’s signature Vitamin Boost Complex. A scan of the INCI and I find nourishing Chondrus Crispus Extract, drawn from red algae, and power antioxidant Ferulic Acid — Vitamin C’s stabilizing BFF.

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But the real complexion perfecting oomph behind the formula is the inclusion of a full range of exfoliating, pore-clearing acids.

From the gentler PHA family, is Gluconolactone. The more powerful exfoliating AHA’s include Citric Acid, Mandelic Acid and Malic Acid.

I love that the SELF/ish chemist opted for these three more gentle alpha hydroxy acids rather than the more potent, harsher Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid.

After all, gentler is the way to go in a daily moisturizer — and the Oil-Free Moisturizer delivers an ample exfoliating effect for daily use.

In place of moisture-infusing oils, the formula utilizes humectant Sodium Hyaluronate and Dimethicone to lock in moisture and prevent water loss. That’s particularly essential in hot weather when skin loses water through excessive sweating. And of course, it’s ideal for oily skin all day, every day.

Of course I love this stuff! Check out the new SELF/ish brand and their clean, democratically priced skincare range on the brand’s website. And, stay tuned for more on the entire SELF/ish brand in an upcoming blog…

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the SELF/ish Oil-Free Moisturizer for $20 here.



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Feuillete Fresh Intensive Cream

Meet Feuillete! 

Feuillete was founded with a mission to “create clean, nontoxic, high performance skincare products to highlight your natural glow, and empower you to love the skin you’re in.” The brand’s inaugural products are the Smooth Water Essence, a pulpy, pampering toner and Fresh Intensive Cream, a wonderfully lightweight gel-cream for oily skin — or all skin types in summer.

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“We consider skincare a lifestyle, not a standard. We understand that in today’s modern world, life can be hectic and time is of the essence. We want to serve as a reminder to pause from your surroundings to breathe, make yourself a priority, know that you are amazing, and to inspire you to do what you love.” - Feuillete

The Feuillete Fresh Intensive Cream is a treasure trove of pro-skin health goodness.

The formula is infused with a pair of fermented actives, including Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate and Schizosaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate. My only wish is that the Feuillete chemist had replaced water with a fermented solution instead. But hey, you can’t always have your cupcake and eat it too. (Is that how the saying goes?!)

There’s lots to enjoy including brightening Niacinamide at perhaps 5% of the formula. The Fresh Intensive Cream also contains multiple humectants, making it ideal as a summer moisturizer, including Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract and Beta-Glucan.

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I get all tickled when I see a brand was wise enough to include Beta-Glucan in a formula. It’s a skin health superstar.

According to the experts on the Paula’s Choice Research Team,

Beta-glucan is a “polysaccharide sugar derived from yeast or oats. It has some antioxidant properties and is a skin-soothing agent. Beta-glucan is considered an excellent ingredient for improving the look of redness and other signs of sensitive skin.”

Feuillete’s Fresh Intensive Cream is a veritable cocktail of actives that help treat multiple skin concerns, including dull skin, oily skin, pore-prone skin — and particularly reactive and sensitive skin. Do you see yourself in any of that? I know I do!

On top of all of that is the fact that the Fresh Intensive Cream is simply a pleasure to use. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but the texture is truly wonderful. It reminds me a bit of Laneige’s popular Water Bank Hydro Gel moisturizer.

I’m intrigued by Feuillete and what the brand has in store. By the way, in case you’re curious, feuilleté is the French word for “layered” — something every skincare aficionado loves doing with their products. Check the brand out on their website and get layering.

SHOP THE BLOG: Purchase the Feuillete Fresh Intensive Cream for $38 here.

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That’s it guys! I hope you’re finding ways to enjoy your summer! And if you’re finding your skin uncomfortably icky and slimy, pick up one of my cool summer moisturizer picks.

And, be sure to enter my blockbuster summer giveaway for a chance to win the entire collection of five summer moisturizers featured above! For details, see just below…

🖤 SKINCARMA


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SKINCARMA….

GIVEAWAY!

Enter to win the entire collection of 5 summer moisturizers featured in today’s blog including the Organic the New Beauty 1% Centella Cream Serum, The Inkey List Peptide Moisturizer, First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer, SELF/ish Oil-Free Moisturizer and Feuillete Fresh Intensive Cream. ($200 value)

Share why you want to win in the comments below. Then, return to the Skincarma IG page and comment “Done”. Giveaway ends Sunday 07/19/2020.



*WATCH MY VIDEO REVIEW OF SUMMER MOISTURIZERS PART I ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE.**


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The Ingredient List of the Organic the New Beauty 1% Centella Cream Serum:

The Ingredient List of the The Inkey List Peptide Moisturizer:

Hover the mouse over an ingredient for short explanation. Read more on INCIDecoder.

The Ingredient List of the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Oil-Control Moisturizer:

The Ingredient List of the SELF/ish Oil-Free Moisturizer:

Aqua, C13-15 Alkane, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Behenate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 80, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Bakuchiol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Gluconolactone, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Mandelic Acid, Malic Acid, Gallic Acid, Ferulic Acid, Ellagic Acid, Cyanocobalamin, Linoleic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Linolenic Acid

The Ingredient List of the Feuillete Fresh Intensive Cream:

Water (Aqua), Propanediol, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyquaternium-51, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Hydrogenated Polydecene, Methylpropanediol, Polyglycerin-3, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Algae Extract, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Ferment Filtrate, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit Extract, Adenosine, Beta-Glucan, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Schizosaccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, C14-22 Alcohols, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fructooligosaccharides, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Folic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Raffinose, Tromethamine, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4

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