What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Cetyl Ether
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Kaolin
Abrasive
Malic Acid
Buffering
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sucrose Distearate
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Coco-Caprylate, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Cetyl Ether, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Behenyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Kaolin, Malic Acid, Lauric Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Dipropylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Sucrose Distearate, Cholesterol
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningSphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPolylysine
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Polyglyceryl-6 Dicaprate
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Glycolipids, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Persea Gratissima Oil, Sodium Phytate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Polylysine, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Stearyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Polyglyceryl-6 Dicaprate, 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.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholCeramide 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 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 NPCholesterol 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 CholesterolGlyceryl 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 StearatePentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
