What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningVegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGellan Gum
Citric Acid
Buffering
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Vegetable Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Isoamyl Laurate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Zinc PCA, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Gellan Gum, Citric Acid, Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Decylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientMyristyl Myristate
Emollient
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Farnesol
Perfuming
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Water, Urea, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Myristyl Myristate, Triethyl Citrate, Hydrolyzed Silk, Allantoin, Farnesol, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCaprylyl 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 GlycolCetyl 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 PalmitatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
