What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Erythritol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientTrimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Nylon-12
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Magnesium Sulfate
Polysilicone-11
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Propylene Carbonate
SolventParfum
Masking
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Laureth-12
EmulsifyingVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
CI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15850
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Erythritol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Isododecane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Nylon-12, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Magnesium Sulfate, Polysilicone-11, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylene Carbonate, Parfum, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Laureth-12, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, CI 77007, CI 15850
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingBis-Butyldimethicone Polyglyceryl-3
Cleansing
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPlankton Extract
Skin ConditioningAlteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPolysilicone-2
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingCI 77120
Cosmetic ColorantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogen Dimethicone
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Alumina
Abrasive
Glucose
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Pea Protein
EmollientSodium Succinate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Iron Oxides
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Glycerin, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Bis-Butyldimethicone Polyglyceryl-3, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Plankton Extract, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, PEG-12 Dimethicone, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Aluminum Hydroxide, Polysilicone-2, Disteardimonium Hectorite, CI 77120, Tocopherol, Hydrogen Dimethicone, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Alumina, Glucose, Hydrolyzed Pea Protein, Sodium Succinate, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides, CI 77492, CI 77499, Mica, CI 77891
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideThis silicone is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on the skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
It is not soluble in water and helps increase water-resistance in products.
According to a manufacturer, it can blend seamlessly with silicone oils, such as Cyclopentasiloxane.
Learn more about TrimethylsiloxysilicateWater. 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
