What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientEnantia Chlorantha Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Dioleate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingOleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Mica, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Octyldodecanol, Silica, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Triolein, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Glyceryl Dioleate, Xanthan Gum, Oleanolic Acid
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 GlycerinSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaWater. 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
