What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
Cleansing
Petrolatum
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polybutene
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Urea
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Fucus Vesiculosus Extract
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingLinoleic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-20 Glyceryl Laurate
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Butylparaben
Masking
Propylparaben
Preservative
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Myristate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Polybutene, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Urea, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Silk, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Panthenol, Allantoin, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Parfum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Linoleic Acid, PEG-20 Glyceryl Laurate, Disodium EDTA, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben, Propylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Cetearyl Isononanoate
EmollientIsoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Cetearyl Olivate
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Isoamyl Laurate, Coco-Caprylate, Bakuchiol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Cetearyl Olivate, Retinyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Sorbitan Olivate, Sclerotium Gum, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
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 an 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.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.
Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.
This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.
First, Retinyl palmitate is created from palmitic acid and retinol. It is a retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.
This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA retinoic acid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen.
Due to this long and ineffective conversion line, the benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated.
Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:
Dermatologists say this ingredient is ineffective because it isn't used in high enough concentrations in cosmetics.
This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.
The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.
While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UV-A, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is safe to use when used correctly.
All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.
Currently, this ingredient is still allowed in cosmetics all over the world. In Canada, cosmetics must have a warning label stating the product to contain Retinyl Palmitate
Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.
Learn more about Retinyl PalmitateTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
