What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Petrolatum
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Abrasive
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Petrolatum, Lauric Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Glycine Soja Oil, Urea, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPetrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.
This ingredient is effective at reducing water loss by 99%. This is because it is an occlusive. Occlusives create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent evaporation. This property makes it great for hydrating dry skin.
Pro tip: Use occlusives, such as this ingredient, on damp skin for the best results.
The quality or origin of petrolatum is only known when disclosed by the brand. Most cosmetic petrolatum has gone through several purification stages.
Another benefit of occlusives is it protects your skin against infection or allergies.
Petrolatum is fungal acne safe. It is a hydrocarbon with no fatty acid structure, so Malassezia cannot metabolize it. In-vitro studies support negligible growth stimulation as well.
It's also worth noting that petrolatum has a comedogenic rating of 0. In updated rabbit ear testing (and in human testing), petrolatum was found to be not comedogenic. This means it didn’t promote comedone formation in standard models.
Learn more about PetrolatumStearic 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 AcidWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
