What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Eucalyptol
Perfuming
Copaifera Reticulata Balsam Oil
Perfuming
Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil
Astringent
Beta-Caryophyllene
Masking
Camphor
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
L-Alpha-Pinene
Perfuming
Geranyl Acetate
Perfuming
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
L-Beta-Pinene
Perfuming
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Isobornyl Acetate
Masking
Neryl Acetate
Perfuming
Menthone
Perfuming
Benzyl Acetate
Masking
Citronellal
Masking
Terpineol
Masking
Menthyl Acetate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Dimethicone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Glucoside, Allantoin, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Bakuchiol, Astaxanthin, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Limonene, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Eucalyptol, Copaifera Reticulata Balsam Oil, Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil, Beta-Caryophyllene, Camphor, Citral, L-Alpha-Pinene, Geranyl Acetate, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, L-Beta-Pinene, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Isobornyl Acetate, Neryl Acetate, Menthone, Benzyl Acetate, Citronellal, Terpineol, Menthyl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Fruit Extract
Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract
Skin ProtectingInulin
Skin Conditioning
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingErythritol
Humectant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil
Astringent
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Myristyl Myristate, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Tocopherol, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Fruit Extract, Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract, Inulin, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Erythritol, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Triethyl Citrate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Oil, Linalool, Limonene
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 StearateGlyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateLavandula Angustifolia Oil is more commonly known as lavender essential oil. It is considered a fragrancing ingredient.
Lavender imparts a famous scent. While the smell is lovely, this ingredient and may sensitize skin in topical products. This is because about 85% of the oil is made up of linalool and linalyl acetate.
When exposed to air, these two compounds become strong allergens. This ingredient exhibits cytotoxicity at low concentrations; amounts of 0.25% have been shown to damage skin cells.
A study from Japan found this ingredient caused lavender sensitivity after widespread exposure.
Lavender essential oil has some antimicrobial, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the cons of this ingredient may outweight the pros.
More research is needed to confirm lavender essential oil's effects when used in aromatherapy.
Lavandula Angustifolia is known as the English Lavender and famous for creating purple fields in Provence, France.
Learn more about Lavandula Angustifolia OilLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneXanthan 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
