What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Diglycerin
Humectant
Glycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Trimethylpyrazine
Perfuming
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingVp/Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
PEG-5 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Petrolatum
Emollient
Hydrogenated Sphingolipids
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Phytosteryl Hydroxystearate
Skin ConditioningN-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin Methyl Ether
Barm Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentWater
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sr-Jellyfish Polypeptide-1
Skin Protecting
Taurine
BufferingLidocaine Hcl
Serine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Threonine
Valine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
Masking
Niacinamide, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Glycosyl Trehalose, Disodium EDTA, Trimethylpyrazine, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Xanthan Gum, Vp/Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer, Tocopherol, PEG-5 Castor Oil, Petrolatum, Hydrogenated Sphingolipids, Phytosterols, Phytosteryl Hydroxystearate, N-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine, Ceramide EOP, Potassium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin Methyl Ether, Barm Extract, Dextrin, Water, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sr-Jellyfish Polypeptide-1, Taurine, Lidocaine Hcl, Serine, Proline, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Valine, Leucine, Glycine, Allantoin, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine
Heparin
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Ī-Olefin Oligomer
Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Pyridoxine Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningSodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
N-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Octyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Heparin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ī-Olefin Oligomer, Sodium Dilauramidoglutamide Lysine, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Hydroxide, Pentylene Glycol, Pyridoxine Dicaprylate, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Petrolatum, Squalane, Arginine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phytosterols, N-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Octyldodeceth-16, Sodium Hyaluronate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate comes from licorice root.
Extracts of licorice have demonstrated to have antibacterial, antiāinflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant properties.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Licorice root is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with respiratory issues.
Learn more about Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateGlycerin (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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for N-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine yet.
Petrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.
This ingredient is effective at reducing water loss by 99%. This is because it is an occlusive. Occlusives create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent evaporation. This property makes it great for hydrating dry skin.
Pro tip: Use occlusives, such as this ingredient, on damp skin for the best results.
The quality or origin of petrolatum is only known when disclosed by the brand. Most cosmetic petrolatum has gone through several purification stages.
Another benefit of occlusives is it protects your skin against infection or allergies.
Petrolatum may not be safe for fungal-acne. Studies show mineral oil / petroleum leads to the growth of M. Furfur, a type of yeast.
However, itās worth noting that petrolatum has a comedogenic rating of 0. In updated rabbit ear testing (and in human testing), petrolatum was found to be not comedogenic. This means it didnāt promote comedone formation in standard models.
Fungal acne isnāt about comedogenic ratings. Itās more about whether certain ingredients can feed the yeast on your skin, which can trigger those breakouts.
Learn more about PetrolatumPhenoxyethanol 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.
Phytosterols are plant-derived sterols (you can think of them as the plant world's version of cholesterol). In cosmetics, this ingredient is usually sourced from soybean, rice bran, shea, sunflower, and other seed oils.
The main actors in this group are Ī²-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol (the CIR covers 27 phytosterols).
They work by fitting perfectly into your stratum corneum's lipid matrix since they're structurally similar to cholesterol. Here, they reinforce your skin's barrier.
One small in vivo human study showed topical soybean phytosterols sped up barrier recovery within three days on tape-stripped skin.
Broader research credits them with:
Formulation use typically sit under 5%.
Testing in soy-allergic subjects found no sensitization signals, but be sure to patch test if you are unsure or have existing allergies.
Learn more about PhytosterolsPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideWater. 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
