What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Polydecene
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientMethyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingTriethylhexanoin
MaskingParfum
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Methyl Gluceth-10, Triethylhexanoin, Parfum, Carbomer, Arginine, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Tocopherol
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingOryza Sativa Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Betaine, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Arginine, Carbomer, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCarbomer 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 Glycerin
