What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Petrolatum
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Abrasive
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingSodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Petrolatum, Lauric Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Glycerin, Glycine Soja Oil, Urea, Stearic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Chloride, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium PCA, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBakuchiol, Water, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Coumarin, Glycerin, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Beta-Glucan, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phytosphingosine, Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Carbomer
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 NPCholesterol 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 CholesterolEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Phytosphingosine is a phospholipid naturally found in our skin as a building block for ceramides.. It helps moisturize, soothe, and protect skin.
Phytosphingosine contributes to your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF). The NMF is responsible for hydration, a strong barrier, and plasticity. Our NMF decreases with age. Increasing NMF leads to more healthy and hydrated skin.
Studies show products formulated with NMF ingredients help strengthen our skin's barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier reduces irritation and increases hydration. Our skin barrier is responsible for having plump and firm skin. It also helps protect our skin against infection, allergies, and inflammation.
Fun fact: Phytosphingosine is abundant in plants and fungi.
More ingredients that help boost collagen in skin:
Learn more about PhytosphingosineSodium 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 HydroxideStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
