What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientParfum
MaskingChamaecyparis Obtusa Water
MaskingXylitylglucoside
HumectantPolyquaternium-22
Anhydroxylitol
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningXylitol
HumectantSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantTromethamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
BufferingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Citrate
BufferingSqualane
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHydrolyzed Soy Protein
HumectantGlycoproteins
Skin ConditioningOligopeptide-2
Skin ConditioningWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Xylitylglucoside, Polyquaternium-22, Anhydroxylitol, Butylene Glycol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Xylitol, Saccharide Isomerate, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Biotin, Ceramide NP, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium Citrate, Squalane, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Glycoproteins, Oligopeptide-2
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientIsopentyldiol
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingSorbitol
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethiconol
EmollientHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Amodimethicone
Lactic Acid
BufferingMaltitol
HumectantParfum
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientTrideceth-10
CleansingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Water
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientOryza Sativa Bran Oil
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicTripeptide-13
Skin ConditioningMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Metaphosphate
BufferingAvena Sativa Peptide
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingSerine
MaskingGlutamic Acid
HumectantThreonine
Leucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningAspartic Acid
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningGlycine
BufferingSoluble Collagen
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingAlanine
MaskingTyrosine
MaskingLysine
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantHistidine
HumectantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantCaffeine
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientValine
MaskingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingMethionine
Skin ConditioningCystine
MaskingTryptophan
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isopentyldiol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Sorbitol, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethiconol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Amodimethicone, Lactic Acid, Maltitol, Parfum, Caprylyl Glycol, Trideceth-10, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Water, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Biotin, Tripeptide-13, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Sodium Metaphosphate, Avena Sativa Peptide, Arginine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Leucine, Proline, Aspartic Acid, Isoleucine, Glycine, Soluble Collagen, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phenylalanine, Alanine, Tyrosine, Lysine, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Histidine, Hyaluronic Acid, Caffeine, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Valine, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Stearic Acid, Methionine, Cystine, Tryptophan, Ceramide NP, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Ceramide Ns, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
You may know this ingredient as argan oil. It has emollient and skin conditioning properties that help soften skin and reinforce the lipid barrier.
The fatty acid profile of argan oil is roughly 45-55% oleic acid, 28-36% linoleic acid, 10-15% palmitic acid, and 5-7% stearic acid. It also contains vitamin E, sterols, squalene, and polyphenols like ferulic acid.
Two clinical studies in postmenopausal women found that applying argan oil for 60 days significantly improved skin elasticity and moisturization (reduced transepidermal water loss and increased epidermal water content).
Since it is high in oleic and linoleic acid, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. Both of these fall in the C11-C24 range that Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Argania Spinosa Kernel OilBiotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinButylene 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 GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCeramide AP is is a skin-identical lipid that mimics what your skin already makes naturally. Ceramides help maintain epidermal integrity and barrier function.
You'll often see this ingredient paired with other ceramides (like ceramide NP), cholesterol, or fatty acids because this combination best mimics the natural lipid mix your skin already has.
The skin's ability to produce ceramides gets disrupted in skin conditions like eczema. This in turn weakens the skin barrier and applying ceramides topically has been shown to replenish what's been lost to restore barrier function.
Most of the studies with Ceramide AP test it as part of a multi-ceramide complex; studies reinforce ceramide AP's role in rebalancing ceramides in skin and improving skin hydration.
Learn more about Ceramide APCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCetearyl 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 AlcoholCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilWater. 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