What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingGlycerin
HumectantGlycol Stearate
EmollientPetrolatum
EmollientIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientTapioca Starch
Dimethicone
EmollientTriethanolamine
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientParfum
MaskingMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
AbsorbentPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePEG-100 Stearate
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Stearamide Amp
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Glycol Stearate, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Palmitate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Tapioca Starch, Dimethicone, Triethanolamine, Glyceryl Stearate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-100 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Stearamide Amp, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caramel, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientShea Butter Glycerides
EmulsifyingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingCetearyl Olivate
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingPalmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningSclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
HumectantCaryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil
EmollientLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantLinoleic Acid
CleansingLinolenic Acid
CleansingPropanediol
SolventPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Caprylyl Glycol
EmollientT-Butyl Alcohol
PerfumingOleic Acid
EmollientPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Shea Butter Glycerides, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Linoleic Acid, Linolenic Acid, Propanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Oleic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 StearateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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