What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
SurfactantSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAlumina
Abrasive
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Titanium Dioxide, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Retinyl Palmitate, Methylparaben, Phosphatidylcholine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ceramide NP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Alumina, Hydroxyacetophenone
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Polyacrylate
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Heptapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
PEG-40 Castor Oil
Emulsifying
BHA
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Microcrystalline Wax, Sorbitan Olivate, Carbomer, Arginine, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Allantoin, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Isohexadecane, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Polysorbate 80, Bakuchiol, Niacinamide, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Heptapeptide-9, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tripeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Sorbitan Oleate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, PEG-40 Castor Oil, BHA, Glycine Soja Sterols, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydroxydecyl Ubiquinone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, BHT, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Madecassoside
Reviews
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
Butylene 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 GlycolCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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
