What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Annua Extract
MaskingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium EDTA
Deoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Artemisia Annua Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Panthenol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Allantoin, Chlorphenesin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Deoxyphytantriyl Palmitamide Mea, Citric Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningMethyl Caprooyl Tyrosinate
Skin ProtectingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitan Stearate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phytosterols, Tropolone, Methyl Caprooyl Tyrosinate, Bisabolol, Xanthan Gum, Arginine, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate
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
Caprylic/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 TriglycerideCetearyl 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 AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
