What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientC13-15 Alkane
SolventGlycerin
HumectantShea Butter Cetyl Esters
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientBehentrimonium Chloride
PreservativeHydrolyzed Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
AntioxidantGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantPolyquaternium-7
Disodium EDTA
Vp/Va Copolymer
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, C13-15 Alkane, Glycerin, Shea Butter Cetyl Esters, Squalane, Behentrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract, Zea Mays Starch, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Bisabolol, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Tocopherol, Polyquaternium-7, Disodium EDTA, Vp/Va Copolymer, Disodium Phosphate, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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.
Water. 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