What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Dimethicone
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Disodium EDTA
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Stearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Niacinamide, Disodium EDTA, Titanium Dioxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Distearyldimonium Chloride
Petrolatum
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Steareth-20
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingIngredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Oatmeal flour is created by grinding down the kernels of oats. Oatmeal helps sooth, hydrate, and protect the skin.
Oatmeal kernel flour has abrasive, or exfoliating, properties.
Learn all about the skin benefits of colloidal oatmeal here.
Learn more about Avena Sativa Kernel FlourThis 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 ButterCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetyl 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 DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
