What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Tromethamine
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Allantoin, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientTriethylhexanoin
MaskingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantIsododecane
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Propanediol
Solvent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Triethylhexanoin, Dipropylene Glycol, Isododecane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, C12-14 Pareth-12, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Propanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Glycerin, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
