What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingWater
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Cholesterol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalane
Emollient
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-6
HumectantPEG-32
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Behenyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Linoleic Acid, Cholesterol, Pentylene Glycol, Beeswax, Squalane, Trideceth-12, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, PEG-6, PEG-32, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Beeswax is natural wax produced by honey bees to build their honeycomb.
Because it forms a protective layer on your skin, it can help lock in moisture and reduce water loss. It is also widely used as a thickener and emulsifier in lip balms and lotions. Research suggests beeswax containing moisturizers can support skin barrier integrity.
In comedogenic testing, Beeswax scored a 0-2, which is on the low end. Whether or not a product clogs your pores really comes down to the formula as a whole (not any single ingredient on its own).
Cera Alba is the white, bleached form of this ingredient.
Just so you know, beeswax is not vegan since it is animal-derived. It cannot be removed with water, but can be taken off with an oil cleanser.
People with a known Propolis allergy also report to have reactions from beeswax.
Beeswax's wax esters are derived primarily from palmitic and oleic acid (C16 and C18:1). Both of these fall within the C11-C24 feeding window.
The Malassezia yeast can potentially cleave these esters and release usable fatty acids, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. However, not everyone will react to this ingredient.
Learn more about BeeswaxCarbomer 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 CarbomerCetyl 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.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneGlycerin (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.
Water. 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
