What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
EmollientPEG-32
HumectantPEG-6
HumectantHydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientLinoleic Acid
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Trideceth-12, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sorbitan Stearate, Beeswax, Dimethicone, PEG-32, PEG-6, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cholesterol, Linoleic Acid, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventGlycerin
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSqualane
EmollientBetaine
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate
HumectantSaccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
HumectantCurcuma Longa Root Extract
MaskingMyristica Fragrans Extract
MaskingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingGlucose
HumectantPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTrisodium EDTA
Tromethamine
BufferingWater, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, Panthenol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Squalane, Betaine, Trehalose, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Myristica Fragrans Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Beta-Glucan, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glucose, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Trisodium EDTA, Tromethamine
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCarbomer 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 CarbomerCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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