What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPEG-12 Laurate
Emulsifying
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientCetyl Dimethylbutyl Ether
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-2 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 85
Emulsifying
Isostearyl Glyceryl Ether
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningSorbeth-60 Tetraoleate
Emulsifying
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantMyristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-5 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Cholesteryl Isostearate
EmollientIsostearyl Glyceryl Pentaerythrityl Ether
EmollientPEG-6 Sorbitan Oleate
EmulsifyingSorbeth-40 Tetraoleate
Emulsifying
PEG-10 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Succinic Acid
BufferingBHT
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Paraffinum Liquidum, Isononyl Isononanoate, PEG-12 Laurate, Octyldodecanol, Polysorbate 80, Sorbeth-230 Tetraoleate, Dimethicone, Isododecane, Cetyl Dimethylbutyl Ether, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate, Polysorbate 85, Isostearyl Glyceryl Ether, Water, Sorbeth-60 Tetraoleate, Dipropylene Glycol, Myristyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, PEG-5 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cholesteryl Isostearate, Isostearyl Glyceryl Pentaerythrityl Ether, PEG-6 Sorbitan Oleate, Sorbeth-40 Tetraoleate, PEG-10 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Succinic Acid, BHT, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolIsononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.
As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.
Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.
Learn more about Isononyl IsononanoateParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumPEG-12 Laurate isn't fungal acne safe.
Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
