What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides
EmollientDimethylimidazolidinone Rice Starch
AbsorbentAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGellan Gum
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Linalool
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Coco-Caprylate, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Glycerides, Dimethylimidazolidinone Rice Starch, Alcohol Denat., Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Salicylic Acid, Zinc PCA, Bisabolol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Parfum, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Gellan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Disodium EDTA, Linalool, Citral
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylamide
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetearyl Olivate
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol 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
