What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Methylpropanediol
SolventOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Tapioca Starch
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Carnitine
Cleansing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Mannitol
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Sucrose
Humectant
Citrulline
Skin ConditioningGlycogen
HumectantAlanine
Masking
Threonine
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin, Urea, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Cyclomethicone, Sodium Lactate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Methylpropanediol, Octyldodecanol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Tapioca Starch, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Arginine Hcl, Sodium PCA, Dimethiconol, Lactic Acid, Carnitine, Ceramide NP, Mannitol, Serine, Sucrose, Citrulline, Glycogen, Alanine, Threonine, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, 1,2-Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingCetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningTrisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-37
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Benzalkonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Myristyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Zea Mays Starch, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Ether, Stearyl Alcohol, Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Trisiloxane, Polyquaternium-37, Allantoin, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Lactic Acid, Benzalkonium Chloride, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Ceramide EOP, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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 ingredientâs final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCeramide 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 NPDicaprylyl Ether is created from caprylic acid. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient.
As an emollient, Dicaprylyl Ether is non-comedogenic. It helps soften and smooth the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, helping to hydrate the skin.
Dicaprylyl Ether gives a non-greasy feel and better spreadability to products.
Learn more about Dicaprylyl EtherGlycerin (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 GlycerinLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic Acid
