What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Disodium Cetearyl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Niacinamide, Disodium Cetearyl Sulfosuccinate, Panthenol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water
MaskingAscorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate
Antioxidant
Sodium Allantoin PCA
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Undaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningEnteromorpha Compressa Extract
Skin ProtectingPorphyra Umbilicalis Extract
Skin ConditioningLithothamnion Calcareum Extract
Skin ConditioningFucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium Phytate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCeteth-20
CleansingSteareth-20
CleansingSodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentMethylpropanediol
SolventPEG-75 Stearate
Surfactant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Betaine, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water, Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate, Sodium Allantoin PCA, Sodium PCA, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Serine, Alanine, Arginine, Lysine Hcl, Proline, Threonine, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Porphyra Umbilicalis Extract, Lithothamnion Calcareum Extract, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Tocopherol, Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil Phytosterol Esters, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax, Sodium Lactate, Sodium Phytate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Methylpropanediol, PEG-75 Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
