What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Honey Extract
Humectant
Royal Jelly Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropolis Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Honey Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cassia Obtusifolia Seed Extract, Cetearyl Olivate, Beeswax, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Allantoin, Arginine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Vinyldimethicone
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Kernel Extract
Disodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Artemisia Capillaris Extract
Fructan
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Avena Sativa Leaf Extract
AstringentCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Nonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Pentapeptide-3
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Vinyldimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Parfum, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Zea Mays Kernel Extract, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Artemisia Capillaris Extract, Fructan, Glucose, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Copper Tripeptide-1, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Hexapeptide-9, Lecithin, Nonapeptide-1, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Pentapeptide-3, Tripeptide-1, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate
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.
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 preservatives
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 GlycolCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 Glycerin
