What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Palmitate
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingOctyldodecanol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientColloidal Oatmeal
AbsorbentDimethicone
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventPEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePiroctone Olamine
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingPolyglyceryl-2 Caprate
EmulsifyingDecylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Cetyl Palmitate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Octyldodecanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Dimethicone, Methylpropanediol, PEG-40 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Piroctone Olamine, Carbomer, Benzyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Decylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantIsohexadecane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingIsocetyl Stearoyl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBenzoic Acid
MaskingBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingBHT
AntioxidantDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingPolyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Glucoside, Benzoic Acid, Beta-Sitosterol, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Dimethicone 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 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