What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlumina
Abrasive
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Solum Diatomeae
Abrasive
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Butylparaben
Masking
Epilobium Angustifolium Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Algin
Water, Alumina, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Solum Diatomeae, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Butylparaben, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Algin
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Alumina
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ammonium Hydroxide
BufferingArginine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer
PEG-100 Stearate
Lactobionic Acid
Buffering
Papain
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
PEG-75 Stearate
Dehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCeteth-20
CleansingSteareth-20
CleansingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Algin
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycolic Acid, Alumina, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Isononyl Isononanoate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Arginine, Butylene Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer, PEG-100 Stearate, Lactobionic Acid, Papain, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, PEG-75 Stearate, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Algin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Parfum, CI 19140, CI 14700
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is a white powder used as a thickener, absorbent, and abrasive.
As an absorbent, alumina can give a mattifying effect. It is used in mineral sunscreens to help coat nano-sized filters, such as titanium dioxide. By increasing the size of the UV filters, these ingredients stay on the skin for a longer time. By coating small sized ingredients, alumina helps thicken a product.
Alumina may be used as an abrasive, or exfoliant.
Alumina is naturally occurring in the mineral corundum. Certain varieties of corundum create rubies and sapphires. Corundum is also the crystalline form of alumina.
Learn more about AluminaGlycerin (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 StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
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.
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.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholWater. 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
