What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
HumectantIsododecane
EmollientSorbitol
HumectantSilica
AbrasiveStyrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingGlycerin
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDimethicone
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPhenylethyl Resorcinol
AntioxidantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexyl Acrylate
Sorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTin Oxide
AbrasiveWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butylene Glycol, Isododecane, Sorbitol, Silica, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Carbomer, Ethylhexyl Acrylate, Sorbitan Stearate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Ethylhexylglycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tin Oxide
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV AbsorberHomosalate 10%
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV AbsorberOctocrylene 2.7%
UV AbsorberWater
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingMethyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Glycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCholesterol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Hydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingT-Butyl Alcohol
PerfumingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 10%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 2.7%, Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Carbomer, Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Crosspolymer, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, T-Butyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is made up of Benzoic Acid and long chain alcohols. It has a low molecular weight.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is an emollient and texture enhancer. Due to its solubility, it is often used in sunscreens to help evenly distribute active ingredients.
As an emollient, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate helps soften and hydrate your skin. Emollients create a film on your skin that traps moisture within.
This ingredient has been reported to cause eye irritation.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCarbomer 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 CarbomerDisodium 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