What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
HumectantPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Imidazole
BufferingUrea
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Coconut Alkanes, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Imidazole, Urea, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Cholesterol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Pantolactone
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Urea
Buffering
Sorbitol
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Pantolactone, Bisabolol, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Serine, Urea, Sorbitol, Allantoin, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol, Mica, Titanium Dioxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone 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 GlycerinTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateUrea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.
Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:
Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.
Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.
As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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
