What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-75 Stearate
Surfactant
Ceteth-20
CleansingSteareth-20
CleansingPEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Olive Glycerides
Emulsifying
Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-75 Stearate, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Panthenol, Olive Glycerides, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Propylene Glycol, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Water
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingCynanchum Atratum Extract
Skin ConditioningLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBis-Ethoxydiglycol Succinate
HumectantArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlucose
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Betaine Salicylate
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Water, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Isopentyldiol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Decyl Glucoside, Arachidyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycine Soja Protein, Cynanchum Atratum Extract, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Tocopherol, Allantoin, Arginine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Succinate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Glucose, Hydroxyacetophenone, Betaine Salicylate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPEthylhexylglycerin 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 StearatePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolWater. 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
