What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Pantolactone
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientCetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Water
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Rosa Chinensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf/Nut/Stem Oil
Emollient
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Cynanchum Atratum Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Glyceryl Stearate, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Butylene Glycol, Glycine Soja Oil, Rosa Chinensis Flower Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Adenosine, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Disodium EDTA, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Palmitic Acid, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Betaine, Panthenol, Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf/Nut/Stem Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Beta-Carotene, Tocopherol, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolWater. 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
