What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
PPG-5 Pentaerythrityl Ether
EmollientPEG-5 Pentaerythrityl Ether
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium PCA
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
CI 40800
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Propylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalane, Stearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Myristyl Alcohol, PPG-5 Pentaerythrityl Ether, PEG-5 Pentaerythrityl Ether, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Isopropyl Palmitate, Citric Acid, Microcrystalline Wax, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium PCA, Allantoin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Persea Gratissima Oil, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, Lecithin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, CI 40800
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Petrolatum
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Lanolin Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate
EmulsifyingParfum
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Myristyl Alcohol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Stearic Acid, Petrolatum, Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Dimethicone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lanolin Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Parfum, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, 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.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateMyristyl Alcohol is type of fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
As an emollient, myristyl alcohol hydrates the skin by trapping moisture in.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent alcohols.
The FDA allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Myristyl AlcoholPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
