Kiehl's Calendula Serum-Infused Water Cream Versus Origins A Perfect World SPF 40 Age Defense Moisturizer with White Tea

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.

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer (let's call it AAVC for short) is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.

Polyethylene is a synthetic ingredient that helps the skin retain moisture. It is a polymer.

Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is the oil from the bergamot orange. This bergamot is native to Italy.

Citrus Limon Peel Oil is created from the peels of the lemon. It is used to add a lemon-scent to products. Lemon peel oil also has antibacterial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties. However, it may also cause phototoxicity and sensitize skin.

Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil comes from the bitter orange, an orange native to Southeast Asia.

Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil is an oil.

Mentha Viridis Leaf Oil is an oil.

We don't have a description for Magnolia Acuminata Flower Extract.

Iris Pallida Root Extract is a fragrance.

Rosa Damascena Extract comes from the Damask rose.

Citral is a fragrance and used to add a lemon-like scent to products. It is both naturally found in plants and created synthetically. In plants, it is commonly occurring in lemon myrtle, lemongrass, lemon tea-tree, lemon verbena, and other citruses.

Linalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.

Limonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.

Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.

Glyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.

Peg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.

We don't have a description for Peg-6.

We don't have a description for Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract.

Vaccinium Macrocarpon Fruit Extract comes from the cranberry fruit. Vaccinium Macrocarpon is the North American species of cranberries native to eastern Canada.

We don't have a description for Solanum Tuberosum Pulp Extract.

Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract comes from a type of goji berry plant.

We don't have a description for Eriobotrya Japonica Leaf Extract.

We don't have a description for Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract.

We don't have a description for Leontopodium Alpinum Extract.

Betula Alba Bark Extract is from the birch tree named Betula Alba.

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract is derived from the leaves of the tea plant. Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from this plant.

Boswellia Serrata Extract is the extract of the whole plant, Boswellia serrata, Burseraceae.

We don't have a description for Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract.

We don't have a description for Thermus Thermophillus Ferment.

We don't have a description for Hordeum Vulgare Extract.

This ingredient is extracted from the germ part of the wheat plant. The germ of a plant refers to the seed embryo, or part that sprouts into a new plant.

Saccharomyces Lysate Extract is from the yeast Saccharomyces. This ingredient is created from the cell walls of Saccharomyces.

We don't have a description for Lythrum Salicaria Extract.

We don't have a description for Yeast Extract.

Algae Extract is derived from Algae. Algae is an informal term for a group of aquatic organisms that can photosynthesize. It is estimated there are at least 30,000 types of Algae.

We don't have a description for Oryzanol.

Squalane is an emollient that helps the skin hold onto moisture. It's an oily liquid that occurs naturally in certain types of fish and plant oils.

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

Trehalose is a disaccharide made of two glucose molecules (glucose is sugar!). Trehalose is used to help moisturize skin. It also has antioxidant properties.

We don't have a description for Steareth-21.

Ergothioneine is an antioxidant.

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

We don't have a description for Vp/Eicosene Copolymer.

Nylon-12 is a polymer. It is derived from 12-aminododecanoic acid, an omega-amino fatty acid

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.

Sodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid and is naturally occurring on human skin.

This ingredient is a preservative with antimicrobial properties. It is the sodium salt of dehydroacetic acid.

Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.

Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.

Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Maleate is a form of Vitamin C and is an antioxidant. It can help to reduce redness, improve skin texture, reduce the effects of aging, and reduce the visibility of dark spots.

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!).

Polyquaternium-51 is a polymer salt. It helps hydrate the skin by creating a film on top. This film traps moisture in, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.

Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.

Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of mixture of fatty acids. These fatty acids usually are a mixture of phosphoric acid's choline ester connected to stearic, oleic, and palmitic acids. Most lecithins are created from plant ingredients scuh as sunflower.

Sodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.

BHT is a synthetic antioxidant. As an antioxidant, it helps your body fight off free-radicals. Free-radicals are molecules that may damage your skin cells.

Mica refers to a group of silicate minerals. Mica crystals are easily split to give products a shimmer. These crystals are able to reflect light to temporarily give your skin a glowy look.

Phenoxyethanol 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.