What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
BufferingCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-40 Stearate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningShorea Stenoptera Seed Butter
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCetyl Alcohol
EmollientOctyldodecanol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitic Acid
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBHT
AntioxidantLactic Acid
BufferingLimonene
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingEugenol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingHydroxycitronellal
PerfumingCoumarin
PerfumingWater, Urea, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Panthenol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Persea Gratissima Oil, Shorea Stenoptera Seed Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Cetyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, Carbomer, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, BHT, Lactic Acid, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Eugenol, Citral, Hydroxycitronellal, Coumarin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventCetyl Alcohol
EmollientMyristyl Myristate
EmollientZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentNiacinamide
SmoothingOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingMannose
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientVitreoscilla Ferment
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Mannose, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Vitreoscilla Ferment, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Tocopherol
Reviews
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 high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 GlycerinSodium 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 HydroxideWater. 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