What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantMethylpropanediol
SolventCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Arginine
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dipropylene Glycol, Methylpropanediol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Betaine, Panthenol, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ceramide NP, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Arginine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Beta-Glucan, Sorbitan Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Betaine
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Polyacrylate-13
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingDimethiconol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Silica
Abrasive
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Squalane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Behenyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Stearic Acid, Betaine, Mannitol, C14-22 Alcohols, Palmitic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea, Arachidyl Alcohol, Cholesterol, Polyacrylate-13, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Allantoin, Arachidyl Glucoside, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Dimethiconol, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Sorbitan Isostearate, Silica, Phytosphingosine, Sphingolipids, Arachidic Acid, Tocopherol, Oleic 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.
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. Itβs known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineButylene 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 GlycolCeramide 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 GlycerinSorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateTocopherol 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
