What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Phytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate
Skin ConditioningDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientDextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCedrol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantBeta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantSerine
MaskingSqualane
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantGlyceryl Glucoside
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingCholesterol
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPropolis Extract
Skin ConditioningHoney Extract
HumectantProtease
ExfoliatingMadecassoside
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCodonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract
Skin ConditioningFicus Carica Fruit Extract
HumectantMelissa Officinalis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningDesamido Collagen
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingPhytosteryl/Isostearyl/Cetyl/Stearyl/Behenyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Diisostearyl Malate, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Octyldodecanol, Dextrin Palmitate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cedrol, Dimethicone, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Beta-Carotene, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Gluconolactone, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Serine, Squalane, Tocopherol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Cholesterol, Alcohol Denat., Propolis Extract, Honey Extract, Protease, Madecassoside, Ceramide NP, Caprylyl Glycol, Codonopsis Lanceolata Root Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Melissa Officinalis Leaf Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Ceramide Ns, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Phytosphingosine, Beta-Glucan, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Desamido Collagen, Parfum
Polyisobutene
Petrolatum
EmollientDiisostearyl Malate
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Sesquioleate
EmulsifyingMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingCholesterol
EmollientVinegar
Sodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingSargassum Fusiforme Extract
Skin ProtectingGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPolyisobutene, Petrolatum, Diisostearyl Malate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Stearic Acid, Cholesterol, Vinegar, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Trehalose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Microcrystalline Wax, Sargassum Fusiforme Extract, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCeramide AS is formally known as Ceramides 4 and 5.
Ceramides are intercellular lipids naturally found in our skin that bonds dead skin cells together to create a barrier. They are known for their ability to hold water and thus are a great ingredient for dry skin.
Ceramide EOP is formally known as Ceramide 1 and Ceramide 1 A.
EOP stands for a linked Ester fatty acid, a linked Omega hydroxy fatty acid, and the Phytosphingosine base.
Ceramides are intercellular lipids naturally found in our skin. They bind dead skin cells together to create a barrier. The ceramides in our skin have the ability to hold water to keep our skin hydrated.
Ceramides are an important building block for our skin barrier. A strong skin barrier helps with:
If you would like to eat ceramides, sweet potatoes contain a small amount.
Read more about other common types of ceramides here:
Learn more about Ceramide EOPCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCeramide NS is formally known as Ceramide 2. It is one of the major ceramides in the stratum corneum (outermost layer of skin) plays a role in forming a protective barrier.
Due to its structure, skin lipids can be packed tightly and in turn, this strengthens the barrier and reduces water loss.
Studies show conditions like atopic dermatitis can worsen when ceramide NS levels are low.
Learn more about Ceramide NsCholesterol is a lipid that is naturally found in human skin and is one of the three key components of your skin barrier. In skincare, it is an emollient and barrier-repairing ingredient.
It works by fitting directly into the lipid layers of skin to help restore structure and reduce transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
This is a great ingredient for dry, compromised, or aging skin; our skin starts to produce less cholesterol with age.
Research shows cholesterol works best in combination with ceramides and fatty acids, the other two major components in your skin barrier.
Cholesterol is also a well-establish penetration enhancer and can help other actives absorb more effectively.
Cosmetic-grade cholesterol is usually derived from lanolin but plant and synthetic options also exist. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about their source of cholesterol.
Learn more about CholesterolDiisostearyl Malate is an emollient and most often used in lip products. It comes from isostearyl alcohol, a fatty acid, and malic acid, an AHA.
As an emollient, Diisostearyl Malate helps create a thin film on your skin to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin soft and smooth.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinStearic 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