What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Guanidine Carbonate
BufferingPolyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propylene Glycol, Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, 10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Guanidine Carbonate, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Sclerotium Gum, Sorbitan Isostearate
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Isododecane
EmollientZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer
EmulsifyingCera Alba
Emollient
Avena Sativa Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Copper Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Magnesium Sulfate
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Isododecane, Zea Mays Starch, Zinc Oxide, PEG-22/Dodecyl Glycol Copolymer, Cera Alba, Avena Sativa Leaf/Stem Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Copper Sulfate, Glyceryl Stearate, Magnesium Sulfate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Zinc Sulfate
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Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetyl 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 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 AcidGlycerin (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 StearateWater. 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
