What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingArginine
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Anisate
Antimicrobial1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Stearate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Carbomer, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Arginine, Panthenol, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Anisate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Goat Milk Extract
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cera Alba
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Oil
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium PCA
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Propanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Goat Milk Extract, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cera Alba, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Oil, Niacinamide, Chlorphenesin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium PCA, Potassium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as olive oil. It has been used in skincare for centuries and science largely backs up its reputation as a nourishing emollient.
The main components of olive oil are oleic acid (55-83%), linoleic acid (3.5-20%), and palmitic acid (7-20%). Oleic acid promotes skin regeneration and helps regulate inflammatory responses.
Squalene is also naturally present in olive oil and exhibits moisturizing and antioxidant properties.
The polyphenols in olive oil also show anti-aging promise; one clinical study found a measurable improvement in skin appearance after 30 days of topical serum use.
Just be aware that applying olive oil directly to skin can weaken the barrier and cause redness. One study with volunteers found even people without sensitive skin experienced a significant reduction in stratum corneum integrity and induced mild erythema.
It's best to use this ingredient as part of a carefully crafted formula (instead of putting it on skin directly from the bottle).
Because it has a 2-3 on the comedogenic scale, it is a moderate risk for acne-prone skin. However, the overall formulation of a product matters more than a few ingredients with comedogenic ratings.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because of the oleic and palmitic acid content. These fall within the C11-24 fatty acid range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize to grow.
Overall, olive oil is a well-studied and nourishing skincare ingredient.
Learn more about Olea Europaea Fruit OilStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
