What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Carnitine
Cleansing
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Carrageenan
Cholesterol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tapioca Starch
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Urea, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Octyldodecanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sodium Lactate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Ceramide NP, Lactic Acid, Arginine Hcl, Glycine, Alanine, Carnitine, Sodium PCA, Carrageenan, Cholesterol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tapioca Starch, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Decylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Chloride
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Hydrolyzed Manihot Esculenta Tuber Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Sophora Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ProtectingAcacia Decurrens Flower Wax
Emollient
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Propyl Gallate
Antioxidant
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Gallyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Carbonate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Jojoba Esters, Cetearyl Olivate, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Alcohol, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Sorbitan Palmitate, Sorbitan Oleate, Hydrolyzed Manihot Esculenta Tuber Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Sophora Japonica Flower Extract, Acacia Decurrens Flower Wax, Malachite Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Cetyl Palmitate, Propyl Gallate, Polyglycerin-3, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Adenosine, Tocopherol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Carbonate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic 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.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SePhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
