What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylamide
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Arachidyl Alcohol, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Cetearyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, Arachidyl Glucoside, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Chlorphenesin, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice, Disodium EDTA, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Laureth-7, Pentylene Glycol, Ceramide NP
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTrisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Thiodipropionic Acid
Skin ConditioningPhytol
Emollient
Eclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Fruit Cell Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Malachite Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Tourmaline Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment
Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Ammonium Hydroxide
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Parfum
Masking
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Tiliacora Triandra Leaf/Vine Extract
Antioxidant
Thiazolylalanine
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Isomalt
HumectantLecithin
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Lysyl Aminovaleroyl Lysine
Skin ConditioningPEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Steareth-20
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Sd Alcohol 40-B
Astringent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Trisiloxane, Isohexadecane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Thiodipropionic Acid, Phytol, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Cell Extract, Saccharomyces/Malachite Ferment, Saccharomyces/Tourmaline Ferment, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Phenyl Trimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Polysorbate 60, Cetearyl Glucoside, Silica, Parfum, Dimethiconol, Maltodextrin, Tiliacora Triandra Leaf/Vine Extract, Thiazolylalanine, Sodium Polyacrylate, Isomalt, Lecithin, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-10, Palmitoyl Lysyl Aminovaleroyl Lysine, PEG-150 Distearate, Steareth-20, Disodium EDTA, Sd Alcohol 40-B, Phenoxyethanol, Caramel, CI 14700
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideDimethicone 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 DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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.
Phenyl Trimethicone is a silicon-based polymer. It is derived from silica.
Phenyl Trimethicone is used as an emollient and prevents products from foaming.
As an emollient, it helps trap moisture in the skin. It is considered an occlusive.
Learn more about Phenyl TrimethiconeSodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
Water. 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
