What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Prunus Armeniaca Seed Powder
Abrasive
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Urea
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningChlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Magnesium Aluminometasilicate
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Juglans Regia Shell Powder
Abrasive
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTriethanolamine
BufferingPrunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Magnesium Aluminometasilicate, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Juglans Regia Shell Powder, Sorbitan Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Chloride, Triethanolamine, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
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.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlyceryl 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 StearatePeg-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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolStearic 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 AcidWater. 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
