What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingCellulose
Absorbent
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmollientSodium Benzoate
Masking
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Phytate
ChelatingPhosphoric Acid
BufferingCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Water, Beeswax, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Castor Isostearate Beeswax Succinate, Acacia Senegal Gum, Cellulose, Glyceryl Behenate, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sodium Benzoate, Cellulose Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Phytate, Phosphoric Acid, CI 77499, Glyceryl Stearate, Zea Mays Starch, Cetearyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Dioctyldodecyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantCellulose
Absorbent
Silica
Abrasive
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Algin
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
ChelatingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
CI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantPullulan
Sorbitol
Humectant
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingTrehalose
Humectant
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Dioctyldodecyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Propanediol, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Cellulose, Silica, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Algin, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, CI 77007, Pullulan, Sorbitol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Trehalose, CI 77499
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Acacia Senegal Gum has skin soothing, thickening, and formulation stabilizing properties. It comes from the Acacia tree that is native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Caprylyl 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 GlycolCellulose is the main component of plant cell walls. It is used as an emulsifier, absorbent, and texture enhancer.
This ingredient has many functions:
Fun fact: Cellulose is the most abundant form of organic polymer on Earth.
Learn more about CelluloseCi 77499 is also hydrated iron III oxide. It is created from mixing red and black iron oxides. This helps give shades of darkness to a product.
Iron III oxides are classified as inorganic chemicals for coloring.
Copernicia Cerifera Wax comes from a palm tree native to Brazil; another name for this ingredient is Carnauba Wax.
This ingredient is used to thicken texture and also leaves behind a film when applied.
Fun fact: This wax has the highest melting point of all natural waxes and low solubility.
Learn more about Copernicia Cerifera WaxGlycerin (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 SE is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of Glyceryl Stearate. It comes with a small amount of soap (usually potassium or sodium stearate) that gives it the "SE" part.
That soap lets it pull oil and water together on its own which is why it shows up as an emulsifier, thickener, and emollient.
Industry survey data shows this ingredient is used around 1-5% but Glyceryl Stearate goes as high at 17% in a leave-on deodorant.
Safety-wise, it's pretty boring: it's been deemed safe for topical use in 1982 and again most recently in 2021 by the CIR. Human repeat insult patch tests come back non-irritating, non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
This ingredient does carry a comedogenic rating of 3 from the old rabbit-ear assay. Just remember testing finished products in humans showed that formulas built with "comedogenic" ingredients are not necessarily comedogenic themselves. It's worth patch testing if you're breakout prone, and always listen to your skin.
The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize the stearic acid in this ingredient, so it may not be fungal acne safe.
Allergy is rare: a 310-patient patch test study of common emulsifiers found this ingredient was not a meaningful reactor. Isolated case reports do exist so a true contact allergy is possible but uncommon.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SeWater. 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
