What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitoyl Grape Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Plant Ash
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Persea Gratissima Oil Unsaponifiables, Dimethicone, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan, Tocopherol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Plant Ash
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingBehenyl Behenate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-1
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Glyceride
Emollient
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Phytate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil
Astringent
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil
Masking
Avena Sativa Bran Extract
Abrasive
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Triethylhexanoin, Behenyl Behenate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-1, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Palm Glyceride, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Citrus Tangerina Peel Oil, Avena Sativa Bran Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 StearateSodium 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 Water
