What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientSqualane
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantJojoba Esters
EmollientAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveTocopherol
AntioxidantAllantoin
Skin Conditioning7-Dehydrocholesterol
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningGlycosphingolipids
EmollientSucrose Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingBHT
AntioxidantLactic Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Jojoba Esters, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Tocopherol, Allantoin, 7-Dehydrocholesterol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ng, Glycosphingolipids, Sucrose Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, BHT, Lactic Acid, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningIsostearyl Isostearate
EmollientSqualane
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG/PPG-32/8 Tetramethyl Ether Pentaerythritol
HumectantPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingInulin
Skin ConditioningAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
AbsorbentHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCholesterol
EmollientParfum
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantWater, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Isostearyl Isostearate, Squalane, Propylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-32/8 Tetramethyl Ether Pentaerythritol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Inulin, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Lactobacillus Ferment, Maltodextrin, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cholesterol, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate
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
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCaprylyl 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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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