What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV FilterEthylhexyl Triazone
UV AbsorberGlycerin
HumectantOryza Sativa Starch
AbsorbentPhenylene Bis-Diphenyltriazine
StabilisingBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientVp/Eicosene Copolymer
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningBenzoic Acid
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCichorium Intybus Root Extract
MaskingGlyceryl Behenate
EmollientGlyceryl Dibehenate
EmollientHesperidin Methyl Chalcone
AntioxidantMyristyl Glucoside
CleansingPPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether
EmulsifyingCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantTocopheryl Glucoside
EmollientTribehenin
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa Starch, Phenylene Bis-Diphenyltriazine, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Myristyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzoic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Cichorium Intybus Root Extract, Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Myristyl Glucoside, PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, CI 17200, Tocopheryl Glucoside, Tribehenin, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSilybum Marianum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingMyristyl Glucoside
CleansingCitric Acid
BufferingDiutan Gum
Glyceryl Behenate
EmollientGlyceryl Dibehenate
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantTribehenin
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingIngredients 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Behenate is an emollient and emulsifier.
It has a lipophilic-hydrophilic structure that lets it sit at the oil-water interface to keep emulsions stable while leaving skin feeling soft and smooth.
In pressed powder cosmetics, it double as a compacting agent.
This ingredient can be synthetically created or plant-derived. Safety-wise, it has a solid track record.
One thing to flag for fungal acne: since this ingredient is the monoester of behenic acid (C22), it falls within the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Glyceryl BehenateGlyceryl Dibehenate isn't fungal acne safe.
Myristyl Alcohol is type of fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
As an emollient, myristyl alcohol hydrates the skin by trapping moisture in.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent alcohols.
The FDA allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Myristyl AlcoholWe don't have a description for Myristyl Glucoside yet.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is the potassium salt of a mixture. This mixture consists of the esters from phosphoricacid and cetyl alcohol.
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate is an emulsifier and cleansing agent. Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating.
As a cleansing agent, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate helps gather oils, dirts, and pollutants from your skin. This makes it easier to rinse them away with water.
Learn more about Potassium Cetyl PhosphateTribehenin is the triglyceride of glycerin and behenic acid. It is an emollient that helps soften and condition skin.
Safety-wise, this is a well-vetted ingredient. Repeated-insult patch tests of 0.38% tribehenin did not trigger sensitization.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because behenic acid falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia yeasts can feed on.
Learn more about TribeheninWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum