What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Water
AstringentGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientSalicylic Acid
MaskingPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingEthyl Linoleate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePropanediol
SolventSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBakuchiol
AntimicrobialXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientRutin
AntioxidantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxycinnamic Acid
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Salicylic Acid, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Ethyl Linoleate, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Bakuchiol, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Ceramide NP, Cetearyl Alcohol, Rutin, Carbomer, Hydroxycinnamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSilica
AbrasiveBetaine
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingCetearyl Isononanoate
EmollientZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPerlite
AbsorbentHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientXanthan Gum
Emulsifying
Reviews
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 CarbomerCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium 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 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