What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-60 Almond Glycerides
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingNordihydroguaiaretic Acid
Antioxidant
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningImperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-8
HumectantPolyamide-5
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone Copolyol
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Myristyl Malate Phosphonic Acid
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPurasal Moist Xs
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Propylparaben
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Oleanolic Acid, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, PEG-8, Polyamide-5, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Copolyol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Oleate, Sorbitan Laurate, Myristyl Malate Phosphonic Acid, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Sodium Gluconate, Purasal Moist Xs, Stearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Stearate, Citric Acid, Propylparaben, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Ascorbyl Palmitate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Caprate
EmulsifyingDimethicone
Emollient
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingXylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Caprate, Dimethicone, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Stearic Acid, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Polyglutamic Acid, Lactobacillus, Maltodextrin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
BHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.
As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.
The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.
However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.
Learn more about BHTCetyl 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.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDisodium 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 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 StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
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
