What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientSnail Secretion Filtrate
Skin ConditioningBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientPEG-150 Distearate
EmulsifyingCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeStearic Acid
CleansingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientHyaluronic Acid
HumectantPropanediol
SolventPropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Sorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Betaine
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
MaskingRose Flower Oil
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingSwiftlet Nest Extract
Skin ConditioningCaulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin ProtectingChrysanthemum Indicum Callus Culture Extract
AntioxidantHamamelis Virginiana Extract
AntiseborrhoeicParfum
MaskingTriethanolamine
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hyaluronic Acid, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Betaine, Allantoin, Chlorphenesin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Rose Flower Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Centella Asiatica Extract, Swiftlet Nest Extract, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Chrysanthemum Indicum Callus Culture Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Parfum, Triethanolamine
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 a lightweight 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. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCarbomer 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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 StearateStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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