What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantTripropylene Glycol
Antioxidant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Stearate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Olivate
Coco-Glucoside
CleansingSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingArginine
MaskingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
PerfumingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSucrose Cocoate
EmulsifyingPapain
Skin ConditioningSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningSodium Guaiazulene Sulfonate
SurfactantCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning2,3-Butanediol
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCholesterol
EmollientCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Water, Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Tripropylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Sorbitan Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Coco-Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Arginine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Panthenol, Sucrose Cocoate, Papain, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Sodium Guaiazulene Sulfonate, Ceramide NP, 2,3-Butanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cholesterol, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSorbitol
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantLauryl Hydroxysultaine
CleansingPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant2,3-Butanediol
HumectantGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningArginine
MaskingCoco-Glucoside
CleansingC12-14 Alketh-12
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid
MaskingAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
4-Terpineol
MaskingPolygonum Bistorta Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSodium Dna
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingSucrose Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCamellia Sinensis Seed Oil
HumectantMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantAsiaticoside
AntioxidantMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningMadecassoside
AntioxidantAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Dipropylene Glycol, Lauryl Hydroxysultaine, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, 2,3-Butanediol, Glycolipids, Sodium Chloride, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Arginine, Coco-Glucoside, C12-14 Alketh-12, Salicylic Acid, Alcohol Denat., 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Allantoin, Panthenol, Polyquaternium-10, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, 4-Terpineol, Polygonum Bistorta Root Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Dna, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sucrose Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Camellia Sinensis Seed Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Madecassoside, Asiatic Acid
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
2,3-Butanediol is a naturally occurring humectant and solvent. It's created from fermentation and can be found in foods like cocoa butter and sweet corn.
This ingredient attracts and holds onto moisture to boost hydration in skin. According to a manufacturer, this ingredient improves the spreadability of ingredients like vitamin C.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl 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 AlcoholCoco-Glucoside is a surfactant, or a cleansing ingredient. It is made from glucose and coconut oil.
Surfactants help gather dirt, oil, and other pollutants from your skin to be rinsed away.
This ingredient is considered gentle and non-comedogenic. However, it may still be irritating for some.
Learn more about Coco-GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolWater. 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