What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Malachite
Skin ConditioningPolybutene
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Trisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningAsparagopsis Armata Extract
Skin ProtectingGelidium Cartilagineum Extract
Skin ProtectingSaccharomyces Lysate Extract
Humectant
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Sesamum Indicum Seed
Abrasive
Medicago Sativa Seed Powder
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seedcake
Abrasive
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal
Abrasive
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Gluconate
Skin ProtectingCopper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantMagnesium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Succinate
Antioxidant
Niacin
SmoothingSigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Skin ConditioningLactis Proteinum
Skin ConditioningSucrose
Humectant
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingGlyceryl Distearate
Emollient
Tetraacetylphytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Sorbitol
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSteareth-10
Emulsifying
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocotrienols
Skin Conditioning
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Isododecane
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Squalene
Emollient
Propylene Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Tourmaline
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 61570
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butylene Glycol, Polyethylene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Cetyl Esters, Cetearyl Alcohol, Malachite, Polybutene, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Silica, Trisiloxane, Yeast Extract, Caffeine, Cholesterol, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Gelidium Cartilagineum Extract, Saccharomyces Lysate Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed, Medicago Sativa Seed Powder, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Meal, Sodium Gluconate, Potassium Gluconate, Copper Gluconate, Calcium Gluconate, Magnesium Gluconate, Zinc Gluconate, Tocopheryl Succinate, Niacin, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Lactis Proteinum, Sucrose, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Aminomethyl Propanol, Glyceryl Distearate, Tetraacetylphytosphingosine, Linoleic Acid, Sorbitol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Steareth-10, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocotrienols, Hexylene Glycol, Phytosphingosine, Isododecane, Tocopherol, Squalene, Propylene Glycol Diheptanoate, Phytosterols, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Carbomer, Parfum, Tourmaline, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, Linalool, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, CI 42090, CI 19140, CI 77891, CI 61570
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
