What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPanax Ginseng Root Water
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAngelica Acutiloba Root Extract
Skin ConditioningOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Bupleurum Falcatum Root Extract, Angelica Acutiloba Root Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Butter
Emollient
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydrated Silica
Abrasive
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientCeramide Ag
Humectant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Cholesterol
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDisodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Niacinamide, Tocopherol, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Butter, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminohydroxybutyrate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrated Silica, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Ceramide Ag, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Cholesterol, Dipropylene Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Sodium Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
