What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycolic Acid 4%
Buffering
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Salicylic Acid 2%
Masking
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Glycolate
BufferingQuillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingLactic Acid 1%
Buffering
Sodium Salicylate
Preservative
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Lactate
Buffering
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil 0.97%
Masking
Water, Propanediol, Glycolic Acid 4%, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Salicylic Acid 2%, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Sodium Glycolate, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Lactic Acid 1%, Sodium Salicylate, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Lactate, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil 0.97%
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl Caprylate
