What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Caprylate
EmulsifyingSilybum Marianum Ethyl Ester
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Pongamia Pinnata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Polyphosphate
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Zinc Oxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Sorbitan Caprylate, Silybum Marianum Ethyl Ester, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Pongamia Pinnata Seed Extract, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Polyphosphate, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Perlite
Absorbent
Drometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Triethanolamine
BufferingSilica
Abrasive
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPoloxamer 338
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Isopropyl Myristate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Triazone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Dimethicone, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Perlite, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Triethanolamine, Silica, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Poloxamer 338, Tocopherol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 StearateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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 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
