What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-100 Stearate
Tromethamine
BufferingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientLinalool
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Tremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sorbitan Stearate, Parfum, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Glycerin, Carbomer, PEG-100 Stearate, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Caprylate, Linalool, Disodium EDTA, Niacinamide, Tranexamic Acid, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTriethanolamine
BufferingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Glycerin
Humectant
Apium Graveolens Root Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBrassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentBrassica Rapa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningDaucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Triethanolamine, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Apium Graveolens Root Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Brassica Rapa Leaf Extract, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Lecithin, Sodium Phosphate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 GlycolCarbomer 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 CarbomerCetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient ester. It comes from cetearyl alcohol and 2-ethylhexanoic acid.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient that adds a velvety feel to skin without being greasy or oily. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
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
