What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientGlyceryl Polymethacrylate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Squalane
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cholesterol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Metaphosphate
BufferingCamellia Sinensis Seed Oil
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Dextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Stearyl Dimethicone, Methyl Trimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Squalane, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cholesterol, Glyceryl Stearate, Tromethamine, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Hyaluronic Acid, Panthenol, Allantoin, Sodium Metaphosphate, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Caprylate, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Madecassoside, Lactic Acid, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Camellia Sinensis Seed Extract, Ceramide NP, Tocopherol, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Inositol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
C9-11 Pareth-6
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Tetrasodium EDTA
Water, Isohexadecane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Inositol, Glycerin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, C9-11 Pareth-6, Allantoin, Parfum, DMDM Hydantoin, Sodium Lactate, Tetrasodium EDTA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolCetearyl 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 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 StearateWater. 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
