What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientSqualane
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
EmollientDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientHydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingBetaine
HumectantMannitol
HumectantC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitic Acid
EmollientHydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientCholesterol
EmollientPolyacrylate-13
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
SmoothingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingDimethiconol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientAcrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Sorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingSilica
AbrasivePhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningSphingolipids
EmollientArachidic Acid
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantOleic Acid
EmollientWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Squalane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Behenyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Stearic Acid, Betaine, Mannitol, C14-22 Alcohols, Palmitic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea, Arachidyl Alcohol, Cholesterol, Polyacrylate-13, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Allantoin, Arachidyl Glucoside, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Dimethiconol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Sorbitan Isostearate, Silica, Phytosphingosine, Sphingolipids, Arachidic Acid, Tocopherol, Oleic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventMyristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Distearate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Seed Oil
HumectantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingSunflower Oil Decyl Esters
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningViscum Album Fruit Extract
SoothingSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingArginine
MaskingSodium Phytate
Sodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAnthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
MaskingSalvia Officinalis Oil
MaskingSantalum Album Oil
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-10 Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Sunflower Oil Decyl Esters, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Viscum Album Fruit Extract, Sorbitan Stearate, Beta-Glucan, Tocopherol, Phytosterols, Carbomer, Allantoin, Stearic Acid, Arginine, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Santalum Album Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCarbomer 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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinStearic 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 AcidTocopherol 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