What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Mannitol
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Silica
Abrasive
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Squalane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Betaine, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Palmitic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Stearic Acid, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cholesterol, Niacinamide, Dimethiconol, Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Phytosphingosine, Mannitol, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Silica, Sphingolipids, Arachidic Acid, Oleic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cynanchum Atratum Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Porphyridium Cruentum Extract
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Pullulan
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Trideceth-10
CleansingBoswellia Serrata Resin Extract
SmoothingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Allantoin, Porphyridium Cruentum Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Pullulan, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Trideceth-10, Boswellia Serrata Resin Extract, Carbomer, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sorbitan Olivate, Disodium EDTA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate is a plant-derived emulsifier whose only job is to keep the oily and watery parts of a formula blended so it doesn't separate into layers.
It's compatible with a wide-range of active ingredients and especially good at making emulsions survive heat/freeze cycles.
Typical use concentrations range from 2-3% and it works across a pH of 4.5-8.5.
This ingredient has been found safe to use in cosmetics and has a low irritation profile.
Because it's build on stearic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. Stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that falls within the range (C11-24) that Malassezia can feed on.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose DistearateTromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
