What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seedcake
Abrasive
Erigeron Annuus Flower Oil
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Water, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Erigeron Annuus Flower Oil, Panthenol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Allantoin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Silybum Marianum Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Alumina
Abrasive
Silica
Abrasive
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Stearic Acid, Coco-Caprylate, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Stearate, Alpha-Arbutin, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Titanium Dioxide, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Alcohol, Silybum Marianum Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Jojoba Esters, Alumina, Silica, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideCetyl 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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 CitratePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Stearic 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 AcidTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
