What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Betaine
Humectant
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingMomordica Charantia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLeontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Azelaic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Betaine, Dimethyl Sulfone, Panthenol, Allantoin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP, Polysorbate 60, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Urea, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Carbomer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Dehydroacetic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl 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 AlcoholWater. 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
