What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantEthylhexyl Stearate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientBis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantButylene Glycol
HumectantCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
BufferingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
MaskingDiethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingDisodium EDTA
Glucose
HumectantGlyceryl Laurate
EmollientGlycogen
HumectantHydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingLecithin
EmollientPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingPassiflora Edulis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-8
HumectantSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Succinate
BufferingSoluble Collagen
HumectantTetrasodium EDTA
Tocopherol
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Bisulfite
AntioxidantSorbic Acid
PreservativeAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingFarnesol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Ether, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Capryloyl Glycine, Cetearyl Glucoside, Citric Acid, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Disodium EDTA, Glucose, Glyceryl Laurate, Glycogen, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Lecithin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Parfum, Passiflora Edulis Fruit Extract, PEG-8, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Succinate, Soluble Collagen, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Bisulfite, Sorbic Acid, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride
EmollientPetrolatum
EmollientHexyldecyl Stearate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientGlycereth-26
HumectantPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPropanediol
SolventNarcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract
AstringentCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientMimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientCucumis Melo Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningWhey Protein
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin ConditioningThermus Thermophillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningAlgae Extract
EmollientLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin ProtectingArtemia Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantPolygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
AntioxidantErgothioneine
AntioxidantTrifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
HumectantSorbitol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantDecarboxy Carnosine Hcl
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientIsohexadecane
EmollientAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin ConditioningMyristyl Myristate
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingTetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol Dicaprylate
EmollientAminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantLinoleic Acid
CleansingPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingFaex Extract
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientZinc PCA
HumectantHelianthus Annuus Seedcake
AbrasiveHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingAcrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingStearic Acid
CleansingPotassium Sulfate
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientParfum
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeDextran
Disodium EDTA
BHT
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Petrolatum, Hexyldecyl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycereth-26, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Propanediol, Narcissus Tazetta Bulb Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Whey Protein, Caffeine, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Algae Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Artemia Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Ergothioneine, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2, Trehalose, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Cholesterol, Isohexadecane, Acetyl Glucosamine, Myristyl Myristate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Linoleic Acid, Polysorbate 80, Faex Extract, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Zinc PCA, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Hexylene Glycol, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Myristyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, Stearic Acid, Potassium Sulfate, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Parfum, Potassium Sorbate, Dextran, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, CI 42090, CI 17200, CI 77891
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDimethicone 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 DimethiconeDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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