What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Distearyldimonium Chloride
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMenthol
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Water, Isopropyl Palmitate, Stearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Menthol, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTetrasodium EDTA
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Coumarin
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Water, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium EDTA, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Diazolidinyl Urea, Parfum, Benzyl Benzoate, Coumarin, Eugenol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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 ButterCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetyl 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 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 DimethiconeGlyceryl 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 StearateIsopropyl Palmitate is a texture enhancer and emollient. It is an ester of isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
Palmitates are emollients. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by creating a barrier that traps moisture in.
When added to cosmetics, Isopropyl Palmitate creates a silky texture and improves spreadability.
Isopropyl Palmitate may not be fungal acne safe. It can worsen acne prone skin.
Learn more about Isopropyl PalmitatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter comes from the Theobroma cacoa, or Cacao tree. Cacao trees are native to tropical landscapes.
Like other plant butters, Cacao seed butter is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. By creating a barrier to trap moisture in, emollients help keep your skin hydrated.
Cacao seed butter contains antioxidants known as polyphenols. Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules by stabilizing them. Unstable free-radicals may cause damage to your skin cells. Antioxidants may help with anti-aging.
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter can be bad for acne prone skin.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Seed ButterWater. 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
