What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate/Hema Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Crosspolymer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide, Sodium PCA, Stearic Acid, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate/Hema Crosspolymer, Persea Gratissima Oil, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, CI 19140, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Undecane
EmollientTridecane
Perfuming
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Undecane, Tridecane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Allantoin, Zea Mays Starch, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Panthenol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Parfum, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Gluconate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
