What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Glyceryl Linolenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Palmitate
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Glucoside
EmollientVanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Methyl Gluceth-20, Dimethicone, Behenyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Bakuchiol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Benzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Glyceryl Linolenate, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Palmitate, Glycine Soja Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Glucoside, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Metaphosphate
BufferingMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Dextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin Conditioning7-Dehydrocholesterol
Emulsion StabilisingInonotus Obliquus Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Lactobacillus Ferment, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Allantoin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Metaphosphate, Madecassoside, Ectoin, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Beta-Glucan, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Tocopherol, Centella Asiatica Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, 7-Dehydrocholesterol, Inonotus Obliquus Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
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 GlucosideGlycerin (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 StearateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
