What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Scutellaria Alpina Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningTrifolium Pratense Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract
EmollientHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningPlankton Extract
Skin ConditioningPhragmites Communis Extract
Skin ConditioningPoria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Ribose
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantCitric Acid
Buffering
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Potassium Stearate
CleansingLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Beeswax, Bakuchiol, Tocopherol, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Lens Esculenta Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Scutellaria Alpina Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Trifolium Pratense Leaf Extract, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Plankton Extract, Phragmites Communis Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Stearic Acid, Ribose, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Citric Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, P-Anisic Acid, Potassium Stearate, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Lactic Acid, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Sodium Lactate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactose
HumectantC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Propylparaben
Preservative
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Lactose, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-8, Stearyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, Panthenol, Carbomer, Isopropyl Myristate, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Propylparaben, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Copper Gluconate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl 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 Water
