What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGalactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Aspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Lees Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningCyclodextrin
AbsorbentArachidic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Xanthan Gum, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Panthenol, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Aspergillus Ferment, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ceramide NP, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phytosterols, Oryza Sativa Lees Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Squalane, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Cyclodextrin, Arachidic Acid, Myristic Acid, Oleic Acid, Ceramide Ns, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sambucus Nigra Flower Water
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Citric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sambucus Nigra Flower Water, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycol Distearate, Polysorbate 20, Benzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 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
