What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycol Palmitate
Emulsifying
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycol Palmitate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Arachidyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Parfum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Adipate
EmollientPropanediol Dicaprylate/Caprate
EmollientEthylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentBetaine
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitol
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyglycerin-3
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dibutyl Adipate, Propanediol Dicaprylate/Caprate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Betaine, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Allantoin, Beta-Glucan, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Caprylyl Methicone, Cellulose Gum, Sorbitol, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Polyglycerin-3, Pentylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Iminodisuccinate, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 GlycolCetearyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 StearateWater. 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
