What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingBeta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCitronellol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides
Emollient
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Coumarin
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Geraniol
Perfuming
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningAzurite
Skin ConditioningUbiquinone
Antioxidant
Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment
Saccharomyces/Calcium Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Parfum, Polysorbate 60, Isopentyldiol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Steareth-2, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Aminomethyl Propanol, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Citronellol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxycitronellal, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Coumarin, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Tocopherol, Geraniol, Pantothenic Acid, Azurite, Ubiquinone, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Calcium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment, Ascorbic Acid, Retinol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
PEG-30 Stearate
Emulsifying
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pantolactone
Humectant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, PEG-30 Stearate, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pantolactone, Dimethiconol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
