What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPetrolatum
Emollient
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan 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 ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Mannitol
Humectant
Cellulose
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingLactose
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Talc
Abrasive
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Caproic Acid
Cleansing
Dextran
Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Benzoate
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 73360
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Mannitol, Cellulose, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Lactose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Mica, Retinyl Palmitate, Talc, Triethyl Citrate, Resveratrol, Caproic Acid, Dextran, Oligopeptide-1, Potassium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Polysorbate 20, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, CI 77891, CI 77007, CI 73360
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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.
Water. 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
