What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningLauryl Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Terminalia Arjuna Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Lauryl Laurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Behenate, Oleic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Cetearyl Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Terminalia Arjuna Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Tropolone, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Polyhydroxystearate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Medicago Sativa Extract
TonicCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ethylhexyl Polyhydroxystearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Glycerin, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Polyacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Medicago Sativa Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Tocopherol, Hydroxycitronellal, Linalool
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
Caprylyl 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 GlycolCetearyl 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 GlucosideGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol 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
