What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAvena Sativa Protein Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingPelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Paraffinum Liquidum, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Glycol Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Stearate, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Avena Sativa Protein Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Chlorphenesin, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Disodium EDTA, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Sorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPoloxamer 338
EmulsifyingAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
ChelatingSucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Water, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Sorbitan Stearate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Niacinamide, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Dimethicone, Beeswax, Sorbitan Tristearate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Poloxamer 338, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Disodium EDTA, Sucrose Cocoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, T-Butyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, BHT, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerDimethicone 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 DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
