What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Colloidal Oatmeal 1%
AbsorbentWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantRicinus Communis Seed Oil
MaskingParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingOctyldodecanol
EmollientCetyl Palmitate
EmollientPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingGlycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePiroctone Olamine
PreservativeCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCitric Acid
BufferingColloidal Oatmeal 1%, Water, Glycerin, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Palmitate, PEG-40 Stearate, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Ceramide NP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Piroctone Olamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPEG-12
HumectantOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Polyacrylate-13
Aquaphilus Dolomiae Extract
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingEvening Primrose Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters
Skin ConditioningGlycine
BufferingPolyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
EmulsifyingSodium Acetate
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, PEG-12, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyacrylate-13, Aquaphilus Dolomiae Extract, Arginine, Citric Acid, Evening Primrose Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Glycine, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Acetate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol
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 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 ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 StearateParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumWater. 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