What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Urea
Buffering
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Coumarin
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Panthenol, Urea, Paraffinum Liquidum, Petrolatum, Lactic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Octyldodecanol, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Limonene, Hexyl Cinnamal, Ubiquinone, Coumarin, Citral, Linalool, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Stearate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
BufferingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tapioca Starch
Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
Emulsifying
Carnitine
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Histidine
Humectant
Alanine
MaskingCitrulline
Skin ConditioningLysine
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
Masking
Mannitol
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Threonine
Glycogen
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Arginine
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Water, Urea, Glycerin, Isopropyl Stearate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glyceryl Glucoside, Sodium Lactate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tapioca Starch, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Carnitine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceramide NP, Arginine Hcl, Sodium PCA, Histidine, Alanine, Citrulline, Lysine, Serine, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Mannitol, Sucrose, Glutamic Acid, Threonine, Glycogen, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Arginine, PCA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 AlcoholGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinLactic Acid is another well-loved alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It is gentler than glycolic acid but still highly effective.
Its main role is to exfoliate the surface of the skin by loosening the âglueâ that holds dead skin cells together. Shedding those old cells leads to smoother, softer, and more even-toned skin.
Because lactic acid molecules are larger than glycolic acid, they donât penetrate as deeply. This means theyâre less likely to sting or irritate, making it a great choice for beginners or those with sensitive skin.
Like glycolic acid, it can:
Lactic acid also acts as a humectant (like hyaluronic acid). It can draw water into the skin to improve hydration and also plays a role in the skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF) in the form of sodium lactate.
Studies show it can boost ceramide production to strengthen the skin barrier and even help balance the skinâs microbiome.
To get results, choose products with a pH between 3-4.
Lower strengths (5-12%) focus on surface exfoliation; higher strengths (12% and up) can reach deeper in the dermis (deeper, supportive layer) to improve skin texture and firmness over time.
Though it was originally derived from milk, most modern lactic acid used in skincare is vegan. It is made through non-dairy fermentation to create a bio-identical and stable form suitable for all formulations.
When lactic acid shows up near the end of an ingredient list, it usually means the brand added just a tiny amount to adjust the productâs pH.
Legend has it that Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk to help reduce wrinkles.
Lactic acid is truly a gentle multitasker: it exfoliates, hydrates, strengthens, and brightens. It's a great ingredient for giving your skin a smooth, glowing, and healthy look without the harshness of stronger acids.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Lactic AcidPhenoxyethanol 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
