What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Cetearyl Olivate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sorbitan Olivate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Cetearyl Olivate, Carbomer, Arginine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Tocopherol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Hexapeptide-9, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tripeptide-1
Water
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Glyceryl Oleate Citrate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Kaempferia Parviflora Rhizome Extract
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningOleic Acid
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingWater, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Kaempferia Parviflora Rhizome Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Carbomer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Oleic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentylene Glycol, Phenethyl Alcohol
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 high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
