What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Pantolactone
Humectant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Ceramide NP, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Glyceryl Laurate, Carbomer, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Pantolactone, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Undecane
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Tridecane
Perfuming
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Dextran
Magnesium Chloride
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glyceryl Stearate, Propanediol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Undecane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Tridecane, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Glycol Distearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Dextran, Magnesium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, 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.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCarbomer 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 CarbomerCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDimethicone 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 DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
