What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Rosa Rugosa Flower Water
Masking
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmollientCaprylhydroxamic Acid
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
PEG-20
HumectantGlucose
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Rosa Rugosa Flower Water, Glycereth-26, Polysorbate 60, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Oil, Arginine, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Cetearyl Glucoside, Allantoin, Lactic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Phospholipids, PEG-20, Glucose, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Methylheptyl Isostearate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Olivate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylate-13
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Polyisobutene
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Methylheptyl Isostearate, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Squalane, Propanediol, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Olivate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Olivate, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Sulfite, Caffeine, Maltodextrin, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Carbomer, Polyacrylate-13, Polysorbate 20, Tin Oxide, Polyisobutene, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Isohexadecane, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, CI 77491
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholChlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.
Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.
Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.
Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.
Learn more about ChlorphenesinGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePhenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Water. 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
