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 ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Cetyl Lactate
EmollientMyristyl Lactate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMethylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingIngredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl 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 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 StearateSodium 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 HydroxideWater. 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
