What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC18-36 Acid Triglyceride
EmollientCopernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Tribehenin
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientMacadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Triticum Vulgare Starch
Abrasive
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Candelilla Cera
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, C18-36 Acid Triglyceride, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Tribehenin, Stearic Acid, Vegetable Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Triticum Vulgare Starch, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Candelilla Cera, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningCera Alba
Emollient
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Polyhydroxystearate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Arginine
Masking
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Cera Alba, Synthetic Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexyl Polyhydroxystearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Jojoba Esters, Acacia Senegal Gum, Panthenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Arginine, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Oleic Acid, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholThis ingredient comes from a palm tree native to Brazil. This ingredient is used to thicken texture and leaves behind a film when applied.
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 StearateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol 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 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
