What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Tapioca Starch
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium PCA
Humectant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carnitine
Cleansing
Mannitol
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Sucrose
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Citrulline
Skin ConditioningGlycogen
HumectantHistidine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Threonine
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Urea, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Glucoside, Cyclomethicone, Sodium Lactate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Ether, Methylpropanediol, Octyldodecanol, Tapioca Starch, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, 1,2-Hexanediol, Arginine Hcl, Sodium Chloride, Sodium PCA, Dimethiconol, Phenoxyethanol, Lactic Acid, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Carnitine, Mannitol, Serine, Sucrose, Ceramide NP, Citrulline, Glycogen, Histidine Hcl, Alanine, Threonine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Oil
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Oil, Petrolatum, Paraffinum Liquidum, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citric 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.
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 ButterGlycerin (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 a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
