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 ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientEthylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Drometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Triethanolamine
BufferingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Disodium EDTA
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Titanium Dioxide, Octocrylene, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Parfum, Synthetic Wax, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Stearate, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum
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 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 AcidTocopherol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
