DEWYTREE Hi Amino All Cleansing Milk Versus Isntree Yam Root Vegan Milk Cleanser

Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.

In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.

Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.

Direct research on this extract is limited and mostly comes from supplier safety dossiers:

Human testing found it to be non-irritating or sensitizing in a 50-subject occlusive patch test.

Real-world concentrations are very low: industry survey data puts it at 0.0007% to 0.02% in face and neck products, 0.0005% in moisturizers and cleansers, and up to 0.04% in hair conditioners.

Most human clinical skin research on coconut is on virgin coconut oil and not this extract. For example, a randomized double-blind trial found virgin coconut oil as effective and safe as mineral oil for mild to moderate xerosis with significant improvement in hydration and skin surface lipids. However, you can't transfer that to a water-based fruit extract at 0.01%.

There's no comedogenicity data for this specific ingredient; the "coconut clogs pores" reputation comes from coconut oil which scored high on the old rabbit ear assay.

That method tested pure ingredients on rabbit ears and later work showed the results translate inconsistently to human skin.

Some people still find it breaks them out. So if that's you, definitely trust your skin.

It's worth knowing sugars are already a natural component of the skin's NMF (natural moisturizing factor) so it's a molecule that your stratum corneum is well-acquainted with.

Just so you know, glucose is hydrophilic (water-loving) and the stratum corneum is a strong barrier to hydrophilic compounds. This just means penetration is slow and most of the action is happening on the surface.

Gram-to-gram, glucose is not as efficient as a humectant as glycerin. This is why you'll likely see glycose paired with stronger humectants for a bigger hydration payoff.

In skincare, glucose is typically derived from corn or other starch sources.

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.

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.

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!

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.