What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCeteareth-20
CleansingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Nonfat Dry Milk
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Triethanolamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Tetrasodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Decylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Coumarin
Perfuming
Water, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Nonfat Dry Milk, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Triethanolamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Glycerin, PEG-40 Stearate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Decylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Stearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin
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.
Stearic 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
