What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Urea
Buffering
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingMethylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Menthol
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Stearate, Urea, Polysorbate 60, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Menthol, Disodium EDTA, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Sodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Squalene
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Silk Amino Acids
HumectantAscorbic Acid Polypeptide
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Polyacrylamide
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Water, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetyl Alcohol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Triethanolamine, Polysorbate 20, Laureth-7, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Bicarbonate, Sodium Benzoate, Squalene, Sodium PCA, Silk Amino Acids, Ascorbic Acid Polypeptide, Ubiquinone, Polyacrylamide, Propylene Glycol, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylparaben, Propylparaben
Reviews
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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumPropylene 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 GlycolPropylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben with antifungal and antimicrobial properties.
This ingredient can be naturally found in plants and insects, but most of it is synthetically manufactured for human use. In cosmetics, it is usually created by reacting para-aminobenzoic acid and propanol (an alcohol).
You can usually find this ingredient in water-based products.
Parabens have come under controversy due to the claim they are hormone disruptors. Studies show conflicting results. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Propylparaben is commonly found in food, medicine, and cosmetics.
Learn more about PropylparabenStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTriethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
