What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingIsopentane
SolventSorbitol
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Isobutane
Sunflower Seed Oil Glyceride
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMethylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Benzaldehyde
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Water, Palmitic Acid, Triethanolamine, Isopentane, Sorbitol, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Sorbitan Stearate, Isobutane, Sunflower Seed Oil Glyceride, Hydroxyethylcellulose, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Benzaldehyde, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Allantoin
Water
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Isobutane
Laureth-23
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Propane
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Menthol
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Sodium PEG-7 Olive Oil Carboxylate
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Laminaria Saccharina Extract
Skin Protecting
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is a low-molecular weight gas using as a propellant in foams, sprays, and mousses.
It is not intended to interact with skin in a meaningful way as it evaporates almost immediately after dispensing and only leaving behind the actual product formula.
If it does somehow make it onto your skin, it is chemically inert and does not penetrate or get absorbed into skin. Safety assessments note that adverse skin reactions to this ingredient are uncommon.
Learn more about IsobutanePalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolStearic 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 AcidTriethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
