What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pistacia Lentiscus Gum
MaskingLecithin
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract
CleansingSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Propanediol
Solvent
Tapioca Starch
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, Betaine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pistacia Lentiscus Gum, Lecithin, Glycerin, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Propanediol, Tapioca Starch, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phospholipids, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Zinc PCA, Phenoxyethanol, Retinyl Palmitate, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-60 Almond Glycerides
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingNordihydroguaiaretic Acid
Antioxidant
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningImperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-8
HumectantPolyamide-5
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone Copolyol
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Myristyl Malate Phosphonic Acid
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylates Copolymer
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningPurasal Moist Xs
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Propylparaben
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Oleanolic Acid, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, PEG-8, Polyamide-5, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone Copolyol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Oleate, Sorbitan Laurate, Myristyl Malate Phosphonic Acid, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Lecithin, Sodium Gluconate, Purasal Moist Xs, Stearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Stearate, Citric Acid, Propylparaben, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Ascorbyl Palmitate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolThis 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 ButterDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinThis ingredient is a synthetic, salt form polymer built from acrylic acid, ethacrylic acid, or their simple esters. It works as a binder, film former, and viscosity increasing agent.
Typical concentrations start at around 0.5% but can go up to 25% for film-forming or binding.
The CIR Expert Panel assessed the safety of 126 acrylates copolymers and concluded they are safe in cosmetics at current use levels when formulated to be non-irritating. They also noted the levels present in finished cosmetic products are not considered a safety risk and Genotoxicity testing (Ames tests, chromosomal aberration assays) has come back negative across the board.
Though the raw building blocks (like acrylic acid) can be irritating on their own, cosmetic-grade versions go through purification to keep levels extremely low.
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer is a large molecule that doesn't penetrate skin barrier in any meaningful way.
Learn more about Sodium Acrylates CopolymerWater. 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
