What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Citrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract
HumectantTerminalia Bellerica Fruit
AstringentBrassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract
HumectantHectorite
AbsorbentVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Glyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingP-Anisic Acid
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingCrystallins
Skin ConditioningChloroacetic Acid
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Iron Oxides
Water, Kaolin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Saccharide Isomerate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Curcuma Longa Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Citrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract, Terminalia Bellerica Fruit, Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract, Hectorite, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Chloride, P-Anisic Acid, Sodium Citrate, Crystallins, Chloroacetic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Iron Oxides
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Bentonite
Absorbent
Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Callus
Antimicrobial
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Kaolin, Bentonite, Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Callus, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Glycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 77288
Reviews
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 GlycerinKaolin is a clay. It is used for oil control and to help minimize pores. Like other clays, kaolin has the ability to absorb excess sebum or oil. This can help clean out pores and mattify the skin.
Some types of kaolin may have exfoliating properties. When water is added to kaolin, it becomes a paste with small abrasive particles.
Most kaolin is a white color, but may be pink/orange/red depending on where it comes from.
The name 'kaolin' comes from a Chinese village named 'Gaoling'. Kaolin clay comes from rocks rich in kaolinite. Kaolinite, the mineral, has a silicate layered structure. Kaolinite is formed from chemical weathering of aluminum siilicate minerals.
Besides skincare, kaolin is commonly used to make glossy paper, in ceramics, toothpaste, and as medicine to soothe stomach issues.
Learn more about KaolinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
