What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPetrolatum
EmollientSteareth-21
CleansingDistearyldimonium Chloride
Jojoba Esters
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientBehentrimonium Methosulfate
SurfactantMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
MaskingPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingUbiquinone
AntioxidantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide Eos
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningStearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientCholesterol
EmollientCeteareth-25
CleansingBehenic Acid
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantPropylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingMethylparaben
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialEDTA
Parfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Petrolatum, Steareth-21, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Jojoba Esters, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Niacinamide, Ubiquinone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cholesterol, Ceteareth-25, Behenic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Polysorbate 60, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Methylparaben, Ethylhexylglycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Stearate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientGossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
AntioxidantGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrolyzed Yeast Protein
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantO-Cymen-5-Ol
AntimicrobialPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingIngredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 StearateWater. 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