What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsostearyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetyl Ricinoleate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Arginine
Masking
Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Skin ConditioningHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientCastanea Sativa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialTrehalose
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Creatine
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientLecithin
Emollient
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Arginine Ferulate
Skin ConditioningPolysilicone-11
Tromethamine
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Rna
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium Nadh
EmollientMicrococcus Lysate
Skin ConditioningLaurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAscorbyl Tocopheryl Maleate
Antioxidant
Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Isostearyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Arginine, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Yeast Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Trehalose, Salicylic Acid, Creatine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Lecithin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Petrolatum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Arginine Ferulate, Polysilicone-11, Tromethamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Rna, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Phospholipids, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium Nadh, Micrococcus Lysate, Laurdimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine Phosphate, Carbomer, Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Maleate, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sorbic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Squalene
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Water, Propylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Beeswax, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, Myristyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil
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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium 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 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
