What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sorbitol, Stearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Betaine, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Squalane, Octyldodecanol, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingIsopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
PEG-100 Stearate
Perlite
Absorbent
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Poloxamer 338
EmulsifyingSilica
Abrasive
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc PCA
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Salicylic Acid, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Octyldodecanol, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer, Capryloyl Glycine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, PEG-100 Stearate, Perlite, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Poloxamer 338, Silica, Silica Silylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Stearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Zinc PCA, Parfum
Ingredients 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 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 StearateOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Sodium 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 HydroxideStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholWater. 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
