What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycereth-26
HumectantMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPhytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Methicone
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingBakuchiol
AntimicrobialPandanus Conoideus Fruit Oil
EmollientPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingSodium Polyglutamate
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingCananga Odorata Flower Oil
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Polysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Methyl Gluceth-20, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phytosteryl/Behenyl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Methicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Bakuchiol, Pandanus Conoideus Fruit Oil, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Polyglutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
ExfoliatingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Butylene Glycol, Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Gluconolactone, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Potassium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Dimethicone, Cyanocobalamin
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
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.
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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinWater. 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