What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethylimidazolidinone Rice Starch
AbsorbentGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingOenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Citric Acid
Buffering
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Sodium Gluconate, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethylimidazolidinone Rice Starch, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Citric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingStearamide Amp
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Triethanolamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Water, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glycol Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Dimethicone, Hydroxystearic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Carbomer, Stearamide Amp, Palmitic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
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 DimethiconeGlycerin (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 StearateMagnesium Aluminum Silicate is a type of silica. It comes from naturally occuring minerals such as silicate ores and clay.
Magnesium aluminum silicate is used for enhancing texture and as an absorbent. Due to its large molecular size, it is unable to be absorbed into the skin.
Like other types of silica, this ingredient can be used to thicken a product. As an absorbent, it may be used to absorb extra water or help prevent clumping.
Although “aluminum” in an ingredient name can raise red flags for some consumers, the form and usage context matter significantly. For typical topical applications, there is no substantial evidence of health risks - such as cancer, neurotoxicity, or systemic “aluminum overload.”
Learn more about Magnesium Aluminum SilicatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
