What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCeteareth-20
CleansingPetrolatum
EmollientPotassium Phosphate
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
EmollientBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCholesterol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Petrolatum, Potassium Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientIsodecyl Salicylate
Skin ConditioningPEG-75
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
AbrasiveGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientHydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientChitosan Succinamide
Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantTriethanolamine
BufferingPropylene Glycol
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativePropylparaben
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingDiazolidinyl Urea
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Isodecyl Salicylate, PEG-75, Stearic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Chitosan Succinamide, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Leaf Extract, Isopropyl Myristate, Tocopherol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Triethanolamine, Propylene Glycol, Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Sodium Benzoate, Diazolidinyl Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate
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 CarbomerCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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