What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoconut Alkanes
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Triethylene Glycol
Masking
Water, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Triethylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingDimethicone
Emollient
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Borago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Myristyl Myristate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, C14-22 Alcohols, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Arachidyl Alcohol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, Squalane, Arachidyl Glucoside, Dimethicone, Saccharide Isomerate, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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 TriglycerideCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer is a crosslinked version of sodium hyaluronate. This just means it's linked into a 3D mesh network that lets it be more stable and sit on skin as a cohesive, gel-like film rather than sinking into skin.
A 2016 human skin study found crosslinked HA increased epidermal water content by 7.6% over the control group and reduced transepidermal water loss by 27.8%.
A follow-up clinical trial found that a topical crosslinked HA serum applied after fillers, microneedling, or chemical peels was well-tolerated and enhanced skin quality at 14 / 28 days.
More recent research suggests that concentrations as low as 0.03% can act as a penetration enhancer for other skincare actives.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerWater. 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
