What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters
Skin ConditioningSea Water
HumectantPullulan
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Rhizobian Gum
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Phytate
Olea Europaea Fruit Unsaponifiables
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-19
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentLeucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract
Skin ProtectingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Water, Acacia Senegal Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dipentaerythrityl Hexa C5-9 Acid Esters, Sea Water, Pullulan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrolyzed Rhizobian Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Lecithin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Laurate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Niacinamide, Sodium Phytate, Olea Europaea Fruit Unsaponifiables, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-19, Silica, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Cyclodextrin, Leucojum Aestivum Bulb Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Water
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Maris Sal
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract
MaskingN-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Phytic Acid
Arginine
Masking
Lecithin
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pullulan
Silica
Abrasive
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Maris Sal, Squalane, Bakuchiol, Rhododendron Ferrugineum Extract, N-Prolyl Palmitoyl Tripeptide-56 Acetate, Betaine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ectoin, Phytic Acid, Arginine, Lecithin, Panthenol, Pullulan, Silica, Potassium Sorbate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sclerotium Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, 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.
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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPullulan is a low viscosity polysaccharide (a long chain carbohydrate) with binding and film forming properties when dissolved in water. It is used to create a "silicone-like" or silky feel in cosmetics without adding viscosity.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient's ability to easily dissolves makes it a great carrier for active ingredients.
Due to it being edible and tasteless, you'll likely find this ingredient in breath freshener strips. This ingredient is produced from the starch of the fungus, Aureobasidium pullulans.
Pullulan is stable over a broad-range of pH.
Learn more about PullulanSclerotium Gum is a natural sugar-based fiber made by fermenting a fungus called Sclerotium rolfsii. It's often used as the plant-friendly alternative for synthetic thickeners like carbomer.
In skincare, it works as a thickener, gel former, and stabilizer that keeps heavy ingredients suspended so a product does not separate.
It is non-ionic and forms a triple helix in solution. This is just a fancy way of saying it builds a smooth, cushiony, and non-sticky gel that feels silkier than many other gums.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it is very sturdy and holds up across a wide pH range (~2-11). It's also good at resisting heat and hydrolysis.
Since it holds water at the skin surface, it can provide some light hydration as well.
Typical use levels are around 0.25-2%; formulators usually use 0.2-0.5% to thicken lotions and up to 2% for a firmer gel base.
This ingredient has been found safe in cosmetics with no meaningful evidence of skin sensitization.
Learn more about Sclerotium GumSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
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.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
