What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC10-18 Triglycerides
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingSqualane
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningInulin
Skin ConditioningPolymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningFucus Vesiculosus Extract
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Citric Acid
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeWater, C10-18 Triglycerides, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Squalane, Behenyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Pentylene Glycol, Inulin, Polymnia Sonchifolia Root Juice, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Fucus Vesiculosus Extract, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus, Arachidyl Glucoside, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCandelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
EmulsifyingPunica Granatum Seed Oil
EmollientEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientMica
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingPolysilicone-11
Hydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSilica
AbrasiveDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeDiglucosyl Gallic Acid
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrihydroxystearin
Skin ConditioningTin Oxide
AbrasiveSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlucomannan
Skin ConditioningCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Polysilicone-11, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Gluconate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, Dehydroacetic Acid, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Trihydroxystearin, Tin Oxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glucomannan, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCaprylic/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 TriglycerideDehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.
As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.
It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.
Learn more about Dehydroacetic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinSodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an amino-acid based emulsifier. It is made by combining stearic acid with L-glutamic acid and neutralizing it to a sodium salt.
As an emulsifier, it works mainly as an oil-in-water one and helps keep the oil and water in your formulas blended. It also contributes to a smooth, non-greasy skin feel.
This ingredient is biodegradable and commonly available in natural/COSMOS-certified grades.
Learn more about Sodium Stearoyl GlutamateWater. 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