What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion Stabilising3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSqualane
Emollient
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantAlbizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Propylene Carbonate
SolventStearic Acid
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Lecithin
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Saponins
CleansingHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Silanetriol
Swertia Chirata Extract
HumectantLimonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Mineral Salts
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Anogeissus Leiocarpus Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Farnesol
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Isostearyl Isostearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Squalane, Gluconolactone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Bisabolol, Butylene Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polysorbate 60, Isopropyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Cyclohexasiloxane, PEG-8, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Propylene Carbonate, Stearic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin, Phenoxyethanol, Beta-Glucan, Calcium Gluconate, Carbomer, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Polysorbate 20, Saponins, Hyaluronic Acid, Citric Acid, Silanetriol, Swertia Chirata Extract, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Mineral Salts, Sorbic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Anogeissus Leiocarpus Bark Extract, Ascorbic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Farnesol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer 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 CarbomerCetyl 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 AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 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 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 HydroxideStearic 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 Water
