What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Nonanoate
EmollientOctyldodecanol
Emollient
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingDimethicone
Emollient
Polyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningDiethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingTriethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Nonanoate, Octyldodecanol, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Dimethicone, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Sodium Gluconate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Brassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Citrate
BufferingXylitol
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Mannitol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Rhamnose
HumectantXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glucose
Humectant
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Sodium Polyacrylate, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Citrate, Xylitol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Mannitol, Tocopherol, Rhamnose, Xylitylglucoside, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Anhydroxylitol, Niacinamide, Glucose, Fructooligosaccharides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Reviews
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 created from dehydrating xylitol in acidic conditions. Xylitol is a famous sugar and humectant.
Much like its predecessor, anhydroxylitol is a humectant. Humectants attract and hold water to moisturize the skin.
This ingredient is most commonly found in a popular trio called Aquaxyl. Aquaxyl is made up of anhydroxylitol (24 - 34%), xylitylglucoside (35 - 50%), and xylitol (5 - 15%).
According to a manufacturer, Aquaxyl is known for a 3-D hydration concept and an anti-dehydration shield to reinforce the outer layer of skin.
This ingredient is often derived from plants such as wood and sugarcane.
Learn more about AnhydroxylitolCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholWater. 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 WaterXylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.
In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.
The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.
As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.
Learn more about XylitolXylitylglucoside is created from xylitol and glucose, two humectants.
Not surprisingly, this ingredient is also a humectant. It attracts and holds water in your skin, helping to maintain hydration.
This ingredient is most commonly found in a popular trio called Aquaxyl. Aquaxyl is made up of anhydroxylitol(24 - 34%), xylitylglucoside (35 - 50%), and xylitol (5 - 15%).
According to a manufacturer, Aquaxyl is known for a 3-D hydration concept and an anti-dehydration shield to reinforce the outer layer of skin.
Learn more about Xylitylglucoside
