What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Citric Acid
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Tremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Magnesium Chloride
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-25
CleansingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Lespedeza Capitata Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Eos
Skin Conditioning
Chitosan
Caprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Silica, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Propanediol, Citric Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Chloride, Calcium Gluconate, Tocopherol, Pyridoxine Hcl, Yeast Extract, Cyanocobalamin, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Beta-Glucan, Ceteareth-25, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lespedeza Capitata Leaf/Stem Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Behenic Acid, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Eos, Chitosan, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientGlyceryl Dibehenate
Emollient
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Peumus Boldus Leaf Extract
MaskingZanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTribehenin
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, Sucrose Stearate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Fructooligosaccharides, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Peumus Boldus Leaf Extract, Zanthoxylum Bungeanum Fruit Extract, Tribehenin, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Behenate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Oleyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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
