What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningHemocyanin
AntimicrobialPersea Gratissima Fruit Butter
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingPolyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Squalane
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Phytate
Water, Hemocyanin, Persea Gratissima Fruit Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Squalane, Tocopherol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Levulinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as "C13-14 Isoalkane".
C13-14 Isoparaffin is created from petroleum-based mineral oils. It is an emollient and helps thicken a product.
As an emollient, it helps keep the skin soft and smooth by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in, keeping the skin hydrated.
C13-14 Isoparaffin may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about C13-14 IsoparaffinCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearateHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidLaureth-7 is created by the ethoxylation of lauryl alcohol using ethylene oxide. Lauryl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with hydrating properties.
This ingredient is an emulsifier and cleansing ingredient. As an emulsifier, it is used to prevent ingredients from separating. It also helps cleanse the skin by gathering dirt, oil, and pollutants to be rinsed away.
Polyacrylamide is a synthetic polymer. It is used to stabilize products and bind ingredients. When hydrated, Polyacrylamide forms a soft gel.
Polyacrylamide is low-toxicity. If source properly, it is deemed safe to use in cosmetics.
It should be noted the precursor to Polyacrylamide is acrylamide. Acrylamide is a carcinogen. Most reputable sources of Polyacrylamide will screen for residual acrylamide to make sure the count is in a safe range. Acrylamide is not able to be absorbed through the skin.
We recommend speaking with a professional if you have concerns.
Learn more about PolyacrylamideWater. 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
