What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone
Emollient
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingDipotassium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Arbutin, Kojic Acid, Niacinamide, Mandelic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Tocopherol, Ceteareth-12, Lecithin, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone, Disodium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.
Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about Tocopherol
