What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Oleate Citrate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Potassium Olivoyl Hydrolyzed Oat Protein
CleansingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Betaine
Humectant
Polyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Methicone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Glyceryl Stearate, Potassium Olivoyl Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Phospholipids, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Oleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycine Soja Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Betaine, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Sorbitan Isostearate
Water
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningMethyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ormenis Multicaulis Oil
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Dilaurate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingAsiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Panthenol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Phospholipids, Pantothenic Acid, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Yeast Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ormenis Multicaulis Oil, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Dilaurate, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium 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 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 StearatePhospholipids are a family of skin-identical lipids that makeup the structural backbone of every cell membrane in your body.
In cosmetics, they function as skin conditioning agents with emulsifier and surfactant properties. They're typically sourced from soybean or sunflower lecithin (or sometimes egg yolk or marine sources).
Because they mirror the lipids naturally found in the deeper layers of your skin, topical phospholipids help reinforce the lipid matrix, reduce transepidermal water loss, and leave skin feeling conditioned.
They're also used to form liposomes, or tiny self-assembling vesible used to stabilize actives like vitamin c or retinol. This helps these ingredients integrate into the upper layers of skin more easily.
Phospholipids are compatible with everything and the CIR Expert Panel has concluded them to be safe at current use levels.
Some types of phospholipids include:
Learn more about PhospholipidsWater. 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
