What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC10-18 Triglycerides
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHeptyl Undecylenate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Butylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine PCA
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters
Emulsion StabilisingMannitol
HumectantParfum
MaskingSucrose Dilaurate
EmollientMaris Aqua
HumectantSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientTribehenin
EmollientSucrose Palmitate
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientLecithin
EmollientLysolecithin
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Linoleate
EmollientPaeonia Albiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningPisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingSodium Chloride
MaskingBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientCamellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Trihydroxystearin
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningPotassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Ceramide NP
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningGlucose
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBisabolol
AntioxidantPotassium Chloride
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingPhytic Acid
Squalene
EmollientPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCalcium Chloride
AstringentSophora Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ProtectingAcetyl Tetrapeptide-11
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Sulfate
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Skin ConditioningTin Oxide
AbrasiveCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Phosphate
BufferingAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantSodium Acetate
BufferingLysine Hcl
Skin ConditioningArginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantHistidine Hcl
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningTryptophan
MaskingPhenylalanine
MaskingTyrosine
MaskingGlycine
BufferingPolysorbate 80
EmulsifyingGlucomannan
Skin ConditioningSerine
MaskingCystine
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Asparagine
MaskingAspartic Acid
MaskingOrnithine Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
HumectantNicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningMethionine
Skin ConditioningTaurine
BufferingHydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningGlucosamine Hcl
Coenzyme A
Skin ConditioningSodium Glucuronate
HumectantThiamine Diphosphate
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Acetate
Skin ConditioningInositol
HumectantNiacin
SmoothingPyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCalcium Pantothenate
Riboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
AntioxidantThiamine Hcl
MaskingFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningWater, C10-18 Triglycerides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Heptyl Undecylenate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Maltodextrin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Arginine PCA, Cetyl Alcohol, Gluconolactone, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Mannitol, Parfum, Sucrose Dilaurate, Maris Aqua, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tribehenin, Sucrose Palmitate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Lecithin, Lysolecithin, Glyceryl Linoleate, Paeonia Albiflora Root Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Pisum Sativum Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Chloride, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, CI 77891, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Trihydroxystearin, Niacinamide, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Lactobacillus Ferment, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Sodium Phytate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glucose, Phenoxyethanol, Bisabolol, Potassium Chloride, Beta-Sitosterol, Phytic Acid, Squalene, Potassium Sorbate, Calcium Chloride, Sophora Japonica Flower Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-11, Magnesium Sulfate, Glutamine, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Tin Oxide, CI 19140, Sodium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Acetate, Lysine Hcl, Arginine Hcl, Alanine, CI 17200, Histidine Hcl, Valine, Leucine, Threonine, Isoleucine, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Glycine, Polysorbate 80, Glucomannan, Serine, Cystine, Cyanocobalamin, Glutathione, Asparagine, Aspartic Acid, Ornithine Hcl, Glutamic Acid, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Proline, Methionine, Taurine, Hydroxyproline, Glucosamine Hcl, Coenzyme A, Sodium Glucuronate, Thiamine Diphosphate, Retinyl Acetate, Inositol, Niacin, Pyridoxine Hcl, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Thiamine Hcl, Folic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentPropanediol
SolventButylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingTrihydroxystearin
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPolymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
AntioxidantManganese Gluconate
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingSilica
AbrasiveAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientMagnesium Sulfate
Mannose
HumectantCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientVitreoscilla Ferment
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningAcetylated Glycol Stearate
EmollientMaltodextrin
AbsorbentPolyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Panthenol, Zea Mays Starch, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Trihydroxystearin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Zinc Gluconate, Madecassoside, Manganese Gluconate, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Silica, Aluminum Hydroxide, Magnesium Sulfate, Mannose, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Lactobacillus, Acetylated Glycol Stearate, Maltodextrin, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Titanium Dioxide
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinMagnesium Sulfate is a salt. More specifically, it is an epsom salt, or the bath salt used to help relieve muscle aches.
Despite having ‘sulfate’ in the name, it isn’t a surfactant or cleansing agent like sodium lauryl sulfate. Unlike those sulfates, magnesium sulfate doesn’t have the same cleansing or foaming properties (it's simply a type of salt).
In cosmetics, Magnesium Sulfate is used to thicken a product or help dilute other solids. It is a non-reactive and non-irritating ingredient.
One study shows magnesium deficiency may lead to inflammation of the skin. Applying magnesium topically may help reduce inflammation.
You can find this ingredient in sea water or mineral deposits.
Learn more about Magnesium SulfateMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolThis ingredient comes from Hydroxystearic Acid, a fatty acid, and glycerin. It is used to thicken oils.
Due to its fatty acid content, it is a natural emollient.
Creating trihydroxystearin involves using a chemical reaction between hydrogen and castor oil.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about TrihydroxystearinWater. 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