What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Lactobacillus/Portulaca Oleracea Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPantolactone
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Lactobacillus/Portulaca Oleracea Ferment Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Pantolactone, Tocopherol, Citric Acid
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 10%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningDiisopropyl Adipate
EmollientCyclomethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Triethanolamine
BufferingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Octocrylene 10%, Water, Diisopropyl Adipate, Cyclomethicone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine
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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
