What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientSqualane
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
EmollientBetaine
HumectantPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPalmitic Acid
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientHydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientCholesterol
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingDimethiconol
EmollientHydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningMannitol
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingAcrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Silica
AbrasiveSphingolipids
EmollientArachidic Acid
CleansingOleic Acid
EmollientWater, 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
Bambusa Textilis Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventHydrogenated Polydecene
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningVinyldimethicone
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantPolyglyceryl-2 Stearate
EmulsifyingGlycereth-26
HumectantSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantTromethamine
BufferingLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSedum Sarmentosum Extract
HumectantTrideceth-10
CleansingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
MaskingMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTriticum Aestivum Seed Extract
PerfumingAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucose
HumectantHordeum Vulgare Sprout Extract
AntioxidantHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientBambusa Textilis Stem Extract, Glycerin, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Vinyldimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Glycereth-26, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Tromethamine, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sedum Sarmentosum Extract, Trideceth-10, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Triticum Aestivum Seed Extract, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Glucose, Hordeum Vulgare Sprout Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract
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 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 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateTromethamine helps balance the pH and improve the texture of a product. It is synthetically created.
As an emulsifier, Tromethamine prevents oil and water ingredients from separating. This helps stabilize the product and elongate a product's shelf life. Tromethamine also makes a product thicker.
Tromethamine helps balance the pH level of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Oral Tromethanmine is an anti-inflammatory drug but plays the role of masking, adding fragrance, and/or balancing pH in skincare.
1,3-Propanediol, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-
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