What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Squalane, Panthenol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Madecassoside, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Diethylhexyl Carbonate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sea Water
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Algin
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Glycerin
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
PEG-9 Diglycidyl Ether/Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Niacinamide, Cyclomethicone, Diethylhexyl Carbonate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sea Water, Ceramide NP, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Hydrolyzed Algin, Panthenol, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Stearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Allantoin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, PEG-9 Diglycidyl Ether/Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 StearateHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinPanthenol 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 PanthenolPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate is a plant-derived emulsifier whose only job is to keep the oily and watery parts of a formula blended so it doesn't separate into layers.
It's compatible with a wide-range of active ingredients and especially good at making emulsions survive heat/freeze cycles.
Typical use concentrations range from 2-3% and it works across a pH of 4.5-8.5.
This ingredient has been found safe to use in cosmetics and has a low irritation profile.
Because it's build on stearic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. Stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that falls within the range (C11-24) that Malassezia can feed on.
Learn more about Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose DistearateWater. 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
