What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantAlchemilla Vulgaris Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentStellaria Media Extract
Skin ConditioningUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPlantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Nepeta Cataria Extract
TonicRubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBaptisia Tinctoria Root Extract
Skin ConditioningDimethiconol
Emollient
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
PEG-150
HumectantPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingTrisodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methyl Trimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Malachite Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Alchemilla Vulgaris Leaf Extract, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Stellaria Media Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Nepeta Cataria Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Baptisia Tinctoria Root Extract, Dimethiconol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 60, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phenyl Trimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Panthenol, Squalane, Triethylhexanoin, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, PEG-150, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, C14-22 Alcohols, Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Trisodium EDTA, Parfum, Citronellol, Limonene, Citral, Geraniol, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Syringa Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningTrifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningWithania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Apium Graveolens Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningFructose
Humectant
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polylysine
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Isododecane, Maltodextrin, Syringa Vulgaris Extract, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Apium Graveolens Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fructose, Sorbitan Isostearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Tocopherol, Polylysine, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Alternatives
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
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 StearateWater. 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
