What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingCopernicia Cerifera Wax
Ceteareth-25
CleansingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
PEG-40 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PEG-8 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Vp/Va Copolymer
Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate
EmulsifyingCetyl Acetate
Emollient
Tridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientParfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tridecyl Stearate
Emollient
Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientTetrasodium EDTA
PEG-4 Dilaurate
Emulsifying
PEG-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
PEG-4
HumectantIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Laurtrimonium Chloride
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Stearyl Alcohol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Oleyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Beeswax, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Pvp, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Ceteareth-25, Isopropyl Myristate, PEG-40 Castor Oil, PEG-8 Beeswax, Vp/Va Copolymer, Dipentaerythrityl Hexacaprylate/Hexacaprate, Cetyl Acetate, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Triethanolamine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Tridecyl Stearate, Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Tetrasodium EDTA, PEG-4 Dilaurate, PEG-4 Laurate, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, PEG-4, Isopropyl Alcohol, Laurtrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
Petrolatum
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Bentonite
Absorbent
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Vp/Va Copolymer
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Kaolin
Abrasive
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-25
CleansingPvp
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-16 Macadamia Glycerides
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Propanediol
Solvent
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalene
Emollient
Petrolatum, Beeswax, Bentonite, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Vp/Va Copolymer, Water, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Kaolin, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Ceteareth-25, Pvp, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-16 Macadamia Glycerides, Silica, Propanediol, Jojoba Esters, Butylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Beeswax is natural wax produced by honey bees to build their honeycomb.
Because it forms a protective layer on your skin, it can help lock in moisture and reduce water loss. It is also widely used as a thickener and emulsifier in lip balms and lotions. Research suggests beeswax containing moisturizers can support skin barrier integrity.
In comedogenic testing, Beeswax scored a 0-2, which is on the low end. Whether or not a product clogs your pores really comes down to the formula as a whole (not any single ingredient on its own).
Cera Alba is the white, bleached form of this ingredient.
Just so you know, beeswax is not vegan since it is animal-derived. It cannot be removed with water, but can be taken off with an oil cleanser.
People with a known Propolis allergy also report to have reactions from beeswax.
Beeswax's wax esters are derived primarily from palmitic and oleic acid (C16 and C18:1). Both of these fall within the C11-C24 feeding window.
The Malassezia yeast can potentially cleave these esters and release usable fatty acids, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. However, not everyone will react to this ingredient.
Learn more about BeeswaxCeteareth-25 comes from Cetearyl Alcohol. (And Cetearyl Alcohol is created from cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol.
This ingredient is a fatty alcohol used as an emulsifier and surfactant. As an emulsifier, it helps oil mix with water.
Like cetearyl alcohol, Ceteareth-25 can help thicken and create a gel-like consistency.
Learn more about Ceteareth-25Glycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated Castor Oil (aka "castor wax") is what you get when castor oil is turned into a wax.
Its dominant fatty acid is ricinoleic acid, giving it both emollient and mild humectant properties.
According to EU CosIng, this ingredient helps soften skin, keep oil and water stay mixed, and thickens products.
Hydrogenated castor oil at 30% did not trigger a positive patch-test reaction and is well-tolerated.
Since this ingredient is based on an 18-carbon fatty acid, it falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia can feed on and may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Castor 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 PhenoxyethanolPvp is a water-soluble synthetic polymer and common hairstyling ingredient. It is a film-forming ingredient and used to "hold" specific shapes of hair.
In cosmetics, PVP helps products like sunscreens and color cosmetics last longer and wear more evenly.
It is less effective in high-humidity. It tends to draw moisture, but this moisture dismantles the structure and "hold".
PVP is generally well tolerated on skin and toxicity studies are negative for dermal irritation.
Learn more about PvpVP/VA Copolymer is a synthetic polymer made by joining two smaller molecules (vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate) into a larger chain.
It is mainly used as a film-former and fixing agent. When a product dries, it creates a thin and flexible layer on the skin, hair, or nails. This film helps hold hairstyles into place, adds a smooth feel to skin, and traps moisture to reduce dryness.
Irritation is rare at normal concentrations and it doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
Learn more about Vp/Va CopolymerWater. 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
