What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glycerin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Panthenol, Inulin, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Saccharide Isomerate, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingBHT
Antioxidant
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
