What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Glycerin
Humectant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate
Emollient
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
C12-15 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientMorus Alba Root Extract
BleachingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSafflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPPG-5-Laureth-5
EmollientKojic Acid
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingSophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningArctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Polyquaternium-11
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glycerin, Ceteareth-20, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Salicylic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Caprylyl Glycol, Zinc Gluconate, C12-15 Alkyl Lactate, Morus Alba Root Extract, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Sodium Hydroxide, PPG-5-Laureth-5, Kojic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Polyquaternium-11, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 11.5%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 3%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingSilica
Abrasive
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Steareth-21
CleansingParfum
Masking
Polyacrylate-13
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Polyisobutene
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 11.5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 3%, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Phenyl Trimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Steareth-2, Silica, Panthenol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Ethylene/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Steareth-21, Parfum, Polyacrylate-13, Behenyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Polyisobutene, Arachidyl Glucoside, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Polysorbate 20, Tropolone, Titanium Dioxide, Mica
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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, 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
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 DimethiconeDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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
