What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
PEG-8
HumectantPolyquaternium-7
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Chloride
MaskingCitrus Junos Seed Oil
Emollient
Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-8, Polyquaternium-7, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Chloride, Citrus Junos Seed Oil, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, CI 19140, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlyceryl Isostearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantStearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-100 Stearate
Plumeria Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningNymphaea Gigantea Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMomordica Grosvenorii Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPEG-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-8, Stearic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Plumeria Alba Flower Extract, Nymphaea Gigantea Flower Extract, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Momordica Grosvenorii Fruit Extract, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, PEG-4 Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Methylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin
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 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 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.
PEG-8 is a synthetic polymer used as a humectant and solvent.
This ingredient is able to help dissolve active ingredients, including water. This gives it humectant properties.
It is soluble in water. The number '8' stands for the molecular weight of the ingredient.
Learn more about PEG-8Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
