What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientPPG-15 Stearyl Ether
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Esters
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
AbsorbentButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Behenyl Alcohol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCI 42051
Cosmetic ColorantBenzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
UV AbsorberBHT
AntioxidantCalcium Lactate
AstringentCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCeteareth-33
CleansingDimethicone
EmollientDimethiconol
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientMagnesium Lactate
BufferingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentPhormidium Uncinatum Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Isopropyl Palmitate, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Glycerin, Cetyl Esters, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, CI 42051, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, BHT, Calcium Lactate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceteareth-33, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Magnesium Lactate, Maltodextrin, Phormidium Uncinatum Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sclerotium Gum, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingIsododecane
EmollientIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Polymethyl Methacrylate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningAlgin
MaskingArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientBHT
AntioxidantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol Linseedate
AntimicrobialCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Parfum
MaskingHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPapain
Skin ConditioningPEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantRetinal
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isododecane, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Pentylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Algin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, BHT, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol Linseedate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Papain, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Potassium Sorbate, CI 17200, Retinal, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholBHT is a synthetic antioxidant and preservative.
As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.
As a preservative, it is used to stabilize products and prevent them from degrading. Specifically, BHT prevents degradation from oxidation.
The concerns related to BHT come from oral studies; this ingredient is currently allowed for use by both the FDA and EU.
However, it was recently restricted for use in the UK as of April 2024.
Learn more about BHTCaprylyl 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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 StearateThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Parfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateWater. 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