What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
C9-12 Alkane
SolventGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantParfum
Masking
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Benzyl Glycol
SolventBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Avena Sativa Straw Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCastanea Crenata Shell Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Canavalia Gladiata Extract
AstringentWater, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Glycerin, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, C9-12 Alkane, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dimethicone, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Stearic Acid, Arginine, Carbomer, Polysorbate 60, Squalane, Sucrose Stearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Parfum, Jojoba Esters, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Avena Sativa Straw Extract, Polygonum Fagopyrum Seed Extract, Castanea Crenata Shell Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Canavalia Gladiata Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
SolventPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Olive Oil PEG-8 Esters
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Trehalose
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingIsohexadecane
EmollientAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Illicium Verum Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Benzyl Glycol
SolventBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
AstringentWater, Alcohol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Panthenol, Olive Oil PEG-8 Esters, Polysorbate 60, Caprylyl Glycol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Arginine, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate, Betaine, Propanediol, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trehalose, Parfum, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Isohexadecane, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Illicium Verum Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 80, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Benzyl Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
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
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineArginine is an amino acid that is important for human development. Your body uses is it to produce hair keratin and skin collagen.
As a cosmetic ingredient, Arginine has antioxidant properties and can also help repair damaged skin. This ingredient is derived either synthetically or from animals.
Arginine isn't fungal acne safe when used in the presence of other lipids (fats, fatty acids, oils, esters, etc). Oils and fats occur naturally within the skin, so take caution when using Arginine if you're prone to fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineWe don't have a description for Benzyl Glycol yet.
Beta-Glucan is a polysaccharide. It can be derived from the cell walls of seaweed, oats, yeast, and fungi. It hydrates the skin and helps boost your skin's natural barrier.
As an antioxidant, beta-glucan helps fight free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Studies show this ingredient may be an effective wrinkle reducer as it can deeply penetrate into skin. It has also been show to help with wound healing.
Learn more about Beta-GlucanButylene 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 polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
It is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.
As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.
In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Water. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
