What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated C12-18 Triglycerides
EmollientCocoglycerides
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycine Soja Germ Extract
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated C12-18 Triglycerides, Cocoglycerides, Octyldodecanol, Sodium Citrate, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Tocopherol, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Myreth-3 Myristate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitol
Humectant
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Myreth-3 Myristate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Synthetic Wax, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Stearyl Alcohol, Silica, Tocopherol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, CI 77891, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Adenosine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sorbitol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Potassium Sorbate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Biotin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 StearateIsopropyl Palmitate is a texture enhancer and emollient. It is an ester of isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
Palmitates are emollients. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by creating a barrier that traps moisture in.
When added to cosmetics, Isopropyl Palmitate creates a silky texture and improves spreadability.
Isopropyl Palmitate may not be fungal acne safe. It can worsen acne prone skin.
Learn more about Isopropyl PalmitateThis ingredient comes as a powder made up of small, porous, microbeads. It is used to add a silky feel to products and also helps absorb oil.
Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateStearyl 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 AlcoholTocopherol 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
