What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate
EmollientMyristyl Myristate
Emollient
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Hydrolyzed Algin
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningMaris Aqua
HumectantFarnesol
Perfuming
Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract
MaskingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
BHT
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Urea, Persea Gratissima Oil, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Octyldodecanol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, PPG-3 Benzyl Ether Myristate, Myristyl Myristate, Triethyl Citrate, Hydrolyzed Algin, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Maris Aqua, Farnesol, Hippophae Rhamnoides Extract, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Caprylyl Glycol, Propylene Glycol, BHT, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Cocoate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Carnitine
Cleansing
Cholesterol
Emollient
Alanine
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Octyldodecanol, Sodium Lactate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Distarch Phosphate, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Arginine Hcl, Glycine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium PCA, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Carbomer, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Carnitine, Cholesterol, Alanine, Ceramide NP
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 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 StearateOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
