What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Lysolecithin
EmulsifyingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCalcium Pantothenate
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Calcium Citrate
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phytic Acid
Silica
Abrasive
Water, Niacinamide, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Zinc PCA, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Lysolecithin, Sodium Gluconate, Calcium Pantothenate, Maltodextrin, Sodium Starch Octenylsuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pyridoxine Hcl, Phenethyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Calcium Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytic Acid, Silica
Water
Skin ConditioningRetinol
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Lecithin
Emollient
Linolenic Acid
Cleansing
Arachidonic Acid
Emollient
Azelamidopropyl Dimethyl Amine
AntimicrobialPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhloretin
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
BHA
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Poloxamer 407
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Retinol, Alpha-Arbutin, Butylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Linoleic Acid, Lecithin, Linolenic Acid, Arachidonic Acid, Azelamidopropyl Dimethyl Amine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phloretin, Tocopherol, Ferulic Acid, BHA, BHT, Ethoxydiglycol, Disodium EDTA, Bisabolol, Polysorbate 80, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Poloxamer 407, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
