What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMethylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDiglycerin
Humectant
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEDTA
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Tranexamic Acid, Cetyl Phosphate, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dipropylene Glycol, Diglycerin, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate, Carbomer, EDTA, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Metabisulfite, Behenyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolGlyceryl 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 StearateHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenPEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate isn't fungal acne safe.
