What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Algae Extract
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Epidermal Stem Cell Culture Extract
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Oil
Masking
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethyl Sulfone
SolventSalvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Rosa Rubiginosa Seed Oil, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Algae Extract, Stearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Epidermal Stem Cell Culture Extract, Ubiquinone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Chamomilla Recutita Oil, Phospholipids, Carbomer, Dimethyl Sulfone, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polysorbate 20, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Caprae Lac
Skin ConditioningMilk Protein
Skin ConditioningLactose
HumectantBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Melatonin
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Isododecane
EmollientMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingSpinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Carbonate
BufferingPropanediol
Solvent
Tephrosia Purpurea Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Squalane, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Caprae Lac, Milk Protein, Lactose, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Bakuchiol, Melatonin, Hyaluronic Acid, Isododecane, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Panthenol, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Carbomer, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Glyceryl Laurate, Betaine, Sodium Hydroxide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract, Sodium Carbonate, Propanediol, Tephrosia Purpurea Seed Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 StearateGlyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateStearic 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
