What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSilica Silylate
Emollient
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Totarol
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract
CleansingCinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Capryloyl Glycine, Cetyl Dimethicone, Carbomer, Silica Silylate, Boron Nitride, Caprylyl Glycol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Totarol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dipropylene Glycol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Sodium Citrate, CI 14700, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantPolysilicone-11
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantJojoba Esters
Emollient
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTin Oxide
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alcohol Denat., Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Mica, CI 77891, Polysilicone-11, Phenoxyethanol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, CI 77491, Jojoba Esters, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylamide, Boron Nitride, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Sodium Hydroxide, Tin Oxide, Citric Acid, Ceramide AP
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It works as a thickener, emulsifier, and texture enhancer that gives gel-creams a silky, lightweight feel.
This ingredient is versatile and low-maintenance so manufacturers love working with it.
Typical usage levels in cosmetics are usually low and in the range of 0.015 - 2.3%.
Learn more about Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl TaurateBoron Nitride is compound consisting of boron and nitrogen. It is used to absorb oil and modify adherence/ slip in products.
This means it is often used in makeup products to help them last longer.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 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
