What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isododecane
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Hexylresorcinol
Antimicrobial
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Algin
Masking
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Benzoic Acid
Masking
BHT
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPapain
Skin Conditioning
PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether
Emulsifying
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantRetinal
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hexylresorcinol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Algin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, BHT, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Parfum, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Papain, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, CI 17200, Retinal, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Stearyl Alcohol, CI 77891, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium 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
