What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polybutene
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Cetyl Acetate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantGinkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Distearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Lactose
HumectantMel
EmollientMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triceteareth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingTromethamine
BufferingCitral
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Isoeugenol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Parfum, Cetyl Acetate, Ceteareth-20, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Acetylated Lanolin Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Ethoxydiglycol, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Lactose, Mel, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triceteareth-4 Phosphate, Tromethamine, Citral, Citronellol, Eugenol, Hydroxycitronellal, Isoeugenol, Limonene, Linalool, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, CI 77492
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinParaffinum 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 LiquidumPhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
