What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Distearyldimonium Chloride
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingSteareth-21
CleansingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Elastin
EmollientRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingDiazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Jojoba Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Stearyl Alcohol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steareth-2, Steareth-21, Propylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Polysorbate 60, Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Retinyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, EDTA, Parfum, Potassium Hydroxide, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingDimethicone
Emollient
Tetrasodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Niacinamide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Dimethicone, Tetrasodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Hydroxide
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 StearateStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholTocopheryl 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
