What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Iron Oxides
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Betaine, Lecithin, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Carbomer, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Iron Oxides, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polysilicone-11
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientHydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOctenidine Hcl
AntimicrobialCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Butylene Glycol, Decyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Cyclohexasiloxane, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sorbitan Oleate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Octenidine Hcl, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholCarbomer 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 CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin 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 Glucoside is made from glycerol and glucose.
It is a humectant. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture to it from the air.
Some foods that contain glyceryl glucoside include sake, miso, and wines.
Learn more about Glyceryl GlucosidePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
