What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Squalene
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetyl Alcohol, Squalane, Palmitic Acid, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycine Soja Oil, Beta-Sitosterol, Squalene, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
C15-19 Alkane
SolventSalvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Emollient
Sambucus Nigra Fruit Juice
AstringentSodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract
Abrasive
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Lecithin
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, C10-18 Triglycerides, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, C15-19 Alkane, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Sambucus Nigra Fruit Juice, Sodium PCA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, 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.
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 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.
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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
