What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Steareth-25
CleansingCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSteareth-3
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCeteareth-20
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Isohexadecane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Steareth-25, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Steareth-3, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Decylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinyl Palmitate, PEG-40 Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceteareth-20, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Olea Europaea Husk Oil
Skin Conditioning
PEG-20
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose Tristearate
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingPelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningRetinol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Olea Europaea Husk Oil, PEG-20, Butylene Glycol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Retinyl Palmitate, Sucrose Tristearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Triethanolamine, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Retinol, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate, Hyaluronic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polysorbate 60
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerButylene 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 GlycolCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that 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. Just 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.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl Ethylhexanoate is derived from cetearyl alcohol and sorbic acid.
It is an emollient and helps hydrate the skin. Emollients form a barrier on the skin to prevent water from escaping.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 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.
Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.
This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.
First, Retinyl palmitate is created from palmitic acid and retinol. It is a retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.
This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA retinoic acid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen.
Due to this long and ineffective conversion line, the benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated.
Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:
Dermatologists say this ingredient is ineffective because it isn't used in high enough concentrations in cosmetics.
This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.
The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.
While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UV-A, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is safe to use when used correctly.
All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.
Currently, this ingredient is still allowed in cosmetics all over the world. In Canada, cosmetics must have a warning label stating the product to contain Retinyl Palmitate
Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.
Learn more about Retinyl PalmitateWater. 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
