What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingDimethicone
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientXylitylglucoside
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientAnhydroxylitol
HumectantPEG-100 Stearate
Bisabolol
AntioxidantButyl Avocadate
Skin ConditioningXylitol
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingO-Cymen-5-Ol
AntimicrobialSodium Hydroxide
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingPropyl Gallate
AntioxidantCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Xylitylglucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Anhydroxylitol, PEG-100 Stearate, Bisabolol, Butyl Avocadate, Xylitol, Butylene Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Carbomer, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Parfum, Propyl Gallate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantGossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientSteareth-2
EmulsifyingSteareth-21
CleansingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Cocoyl Amino Acids
CleansingPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Undecylenate
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingP-Anisic Acid
MaskingHydrolyzed Lupine Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSarcosine
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingMagnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningPotassium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Methylpropanediol, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Steareth-2, Steareth-21, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Carbomer, P-Anisic Acid, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Sodium Hydroxide, Sarcosine, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Magnesium Aspartate, Potassium Aspartate, Sodium Benzoate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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 ButterCarbomer 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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium 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