What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tapioca Starch
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Parfum, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Tapioca Starch, Allantoin, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethanolamine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%
Absorbent
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Petrolatum
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingColloidal Oatmeal 1%, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Beeswax, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Caprylate/Caprate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Petrolatum, Phenoxyethanol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Potassium Sorbate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Water, Xanthan Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice comes from leaves of the aloe plant. Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice is best known for helping to soothe sunburns. It is also anti-inflammatory, moisturizing, antiseptic, and can help heal wounds.
Aloe is packed with good stuff including Vitamins A, C, and E. These vitamins are antioxidants, which help fight free-radicals and the damage they may cause. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells, such as pollution.
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice also contains sugars. These sugars come in the form of monosaccharides and polysaccharides, folic acid, and choline. These sugars are able to help bind moisture to skin.
It also contains minerals such as calcium, 12 anthraquinones, fatty acids, amino acids, and Vitamin B12.
Learn more about Aloe Barbadensis Leaf JuiceThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlyceryl 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
