What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPulsatilla Koreana Extract
Skin ConditioningUsnea Barbata Extract
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata Extract, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Arginine, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Polyacrylate-13
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPolyisobutene
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Masking
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Acutiloba Root Extract
Skin ConditioningOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
7-Dehydrocholesterol
Emulsion StabilisingGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Polyacrylate-13, Parfum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Stearic Acid, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Palmitic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Madecassoside, Myristic Acid, 7-Dehydrocholesterol, Gluconolactone, Lauric Acid, Tocopherol
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
Butylene 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 GlycolThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetearyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
