What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialKojic Dipalmitate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Silanetriol
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Kojic Dipalmitate, Ceteareth-20, Dimethicone, Alpha-Arbutin, Niacinamide, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Silanetriol, Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Panthenyl Triacetate
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Acetyl Tyrosine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Glycosaminoglycans
EmollientBeta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHaberlea Rhodopensis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingUrea
Buffering
Glucose
Humectant
Guanidine Hcl
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningDipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline
Skin Conditioning
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Tripeptide-10 Citrulline
Skin Conditioning
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 40
Emulsifying
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Pantothenic Acid
Skin ConditioningEthylbisiminomethylguaiacol Manganese Chloride
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Panthenyl Triacetate, Ethyl Linoleate, Butylene Glycol, Acetyl Tyrosine, Proline, Lecithin, Glycosaminoglycans, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Haberlea Rhodopensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Urea, Glucose, Guanidine Hcl, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Dimethicone, Yeast Extract, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Cyclomethicone, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Tripeptide-10 Citrulline, Tripeptide-1, Polysorbate 40, Superoxide Dismutase, Pvp, Panthenol, Phospholipids, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Pantothenic Acid, Ethylbisiminomethylguaiacol Manganese Chloride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
