What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
PEG-8 Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tetrasodium EDTA
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
3-Methyl-4-(2,4,6-Trimethyl-3-Cyclohexenyl)-3-Buten-2-One
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Methylpentenylcyclohexene Carbaldehyde
Perfuming
Water, Urea, Paraffinum Liquidum, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Isopropyl Myristate, PEG-8 Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol, Limonene, Geraniol, 3-Methyl-4-(2,4,6-Trimethyl-3-Cyclohexenyl)-3-Buten-2-One, Linalool, Methylpentenylcyclohexene Carbaldehyde
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Cocoate
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
MaskingCarnitine
CleansingCholesterol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
Masking
Water, Urea, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Octyldodecanol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Sodium Lactate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Distarch Phosphate, Ceramide NP, Lactic Acid, Sodium PCA, Arginine Hcl, Glycine, Alanine, Carnitine, Cholesterol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Chloride
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.
Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
It is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.
As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.
In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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
