What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Silica
Abrasive
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil
Masking
Artemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Allium Cepa Bulb Extract
Skin Conditioning
Artemisia Capillaris Extract
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Cynanchum Atratum Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Vinyldimethicone
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Sodium Phytate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
4-Terpineol
Masking
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Saccharide Hydrolysate
HumectantSalicylic Acid
Masking
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRetinol
Skin Conditioning
Limonene
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Panthenol, Caprylyl Methicone, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Silica, 1,2-Hexanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Pogostemon Cablin Leaf Oil, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Allium Cepa Bulb Extract, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Vinyldimethicone, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol, 4-Terpineol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Phytosphingosine, Maltodextrin, Saccharide Hydrolysate, Salicylic Acid, Dimethyl Sulfone, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Retinol, Limonene, Citronellol, Linalool, Geraniol
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 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 Water
