What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantIsododecane
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantGlycine Max Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientLecithin
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPropylene Glycol
HumectantCoco-Glucoside
CleansingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
AntioxidantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Soybean Glycerides
EmollientGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantGlucose
HumectantArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Isododecane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycine Max Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Lecithin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Propylene Glycol, Coco-Glucoside, Allantoin, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Soybean Glycerides, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Myristyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glucose, Arachidyl Alcohol, Dipropylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Olivate
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylamide
Dimethiconol
EmollientBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialC13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Alum
AstringentWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sorbitan Olivate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyacrylamide, Dimethiconol, Beeswax, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chlorphenesin, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Sodium Hydroxide, Laureth-7, Sodium Alum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer 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 CarbomerGlycerin (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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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