What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
2,3-Butanediol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Carica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Mume Fruit Extract
Humectant
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAcanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningInonotus Obliquus Extract
Skin ConditioningRhaponticum Uniflorum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRhodiola Rosea Extract
EmollientSelaginella Lepidophylla Extract
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Glucose
Humectant
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, 2,3-Butanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Methyl Trimethicone, Betaine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Prunus Mume Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Acanthopanax Senticosus Root Extract, Inonotus Obliquus Extract, Rhaponticum Uniflorum Root Extract, Rhodiola Rosea Extract, Selaginella Lepidophylla Extract, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, C14-22 Alcohols, Glyceryl Stearate, Silica, Butylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Arachidic Acid, Palmitic Acid, T-Butyl Alcohol, Glucose, Oleic Acid, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTromethamine
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Stearic Acid, Oleic Acid, Lactic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Tromethamine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Glycerin (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 GlycerinOleic Acid is an Omega-9 fatty acid that can be found naturally in your skin's sebum and in many plant oils such as avocado and olive oil.
It is an emollient that helps soften skin and prevent moisture loss.
Research shows:
A 1998 study did find that applying oleic acid at higher concentrations may cause irritation and disrupt the skin barrier. Modern formulations typically use low levels that is well-tolerated.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Oleic Acid, at C18, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Oleic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
Learn more about Oleic AcidStearic 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
