Water. 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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Glycerin

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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

Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

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 Glycol

Arachidyl Alcohol

Emollient, Emulsion Stabilising

Arachidyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol made from peanut oil. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and thickener.

You'll most likely find this ingredient as an emulsifier in water-based cosmetics.

Behenyl Alcohol

Emollient, Emulsion Stabilising

Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).

Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.

Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.

In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.

Learn more about Behenyl Alcohol

Arachidyl Glucoside

Emulsifying

We don't have a description for Arachidyl Glucoside yet.

Disodium EDTA

Disodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.

It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.

Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.

Learn more about Disodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Glucose

Humectant

Glucose is a simple sugar and is the most important source of energy in all organisms.

In skincare, glucose is used to hydrate the skin. It also acts as a prebiotic for our natural biome.

Glucose is hydrating due to its humectant property. As a humectant, glucose draws moisture from the air and from deeper levels in the skin.

Our skin contains many sugars that act as prebiotics and help strengthen our natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome helps protect our skin from harmful bacteria and other contaminants.

Studies show glucose may help with fading discoloration and pigmentation. This is because our skin metabolizes glucose into lactic acid. Lactic acid is an AHA that helps exfoliate the top layer of skin.

Learn more about Glucose

Ingredient Ratings

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.

Mugwort Calming Cream

When to use

ILLIYOON Ceramide Ato Lotion 46 ingredients

Isntree Mugwort Calming Cream 29 ingredients

274 Routines

45% use in am

55% use in pm

92% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

37 Routines

59% use in am

41% use in pm

78% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

ILLIYOON Ceramide Ato Lotion 46 ingredients

3.8 /5

from 14 ratings

Hydrating (7) No Scent (7) Absorbs Well (6)

Lapaki

6 months ago

Review

Until now, I thought this was just a body lotion, since I picked up the 350ml bottle from the body lotion aisle at Olive Young. I just realized it’s designed for both face and body applications. However, I’ll be reviewing it as a body lotion, as that’s how I’ve been using it.

I wanted a body lotion with good ingredients, and this one checked all the boxes. It features a gentle, vegan, and Show more

#great value

#hydrating

#light

#absorbs well

ILLIYOON

Ceramide Ato Lotion

🐾

3 months ago

Review

♡︎
－ 𝗌𝗈 𝖿𝖺𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗇 𝖺𝗆𝖺𝗓𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝖽𝗎𝖼𝗍 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝗆𝗒 𝖽𝗋𝗒𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌
－ 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝗌𝗄𝗂𝗇 𝗌𝗈𝖿𝗍 𝗎𝗉𝗈𝗇 𝗎𝗌𝖾, 𝖾𝗌𝗉𝖾𝖼𝗂𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗒 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖽𝗋𝗂𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍 𝗐𝗁𝗂𝖼𝗁 𝗂𝗌 𝗆𝗒 𝗇𝗈𝗌𝖾
－ 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝖿𝗅𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗌 𝖼𝗈𝗆𝗉𝗅𝖾𝗍𝖾𝗅𝗒 𝗏𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗌𝗁𝖾𝖽
－ 𝗅𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍𝗐𝖾𝗂𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗀𝗂𝗏𝖾𝗌 𝖺 𝗇𝗂𝖼𝖾 𝗀𝗅𝗈𝗐
－ 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝗌𝖾𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗎𝗉𝖽𝖺𝗍𝖾 𝗂𝖿 𝗆𝗒 𝗌𝗄𝗂𝗇 𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖾𝗇𝖽𝗌 𝗎𝗉 𝗅𝗈𝗏𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗀𝗈𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝗇

𝖻𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗍 𝗐𝖺𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗆 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗌𝗈 𝗋𝖾𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗂𝗇𝗂𝗍𝗂𝖺𝗅 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐

#great value

#light

#absorbs well

#light scent

ILLIYOON

Ceramide Ato Lotion

Isntree Mugwort Calming Cream 29 ingredients

5.0 /5

from 2 ratings

Absorbs Well (2) Great Value (1) Hydrating (1)

skincareidiot

4 months ago

Review

Holy grail for redness!! It could potentially be a holy grail overall if I’d have tried it in summer. It’s not quite moisturising enough for winter, not too bad, just by the afternoon it feels like I could do with reapplying sometimes. Otherwise I love it!

It’s so lightweight and the textures perfect for me. It absorbs well and isn’t sticky or greasy. My skin doesn’t normally get on with Show more

#light

#absorbs well

#no scent

#works well