What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Olivate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
C13-15 Alkane
SolventCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Tromethamine
BufferingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Phytate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Propanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Behenyl Alcohol, Trehalose, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Palmitic Acid, C13-15 Alkane, Carbomer, Stearic Acid, Tromethamine, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Phytate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Butylene Glycol, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient ester. It comes from cetearyl alcohol and 2-ethylhexanoic acid.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient that adds a velvety feel to skin without being greasy or oily. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
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 GlycerinSodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
Tromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
