What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPantolactone
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Mandelic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Pantolactone, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Masking
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer
C9-12 Alkane
SolventCastor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Lactic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Bisabolol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer, C9-12 Alkane, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 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 StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
