What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sorbitol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PEG-6 Stearate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTrideceth-9
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sorbitol, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-6 Stearate, Carbomer, Trideceth-9, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Parfum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Glucose, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Lecithin, Sodium Citrate, P-Anisic Acid, Chlorphenesin, Allantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 GlycerinPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideSorbitol is a sugar alcohol. It is a hydrating and moisturizing agent created from the reduction process of glucose.
Most sorbitol is usually made from potato starch. It is also found in fruits such as apples and pears.
As a humectant, Sorbitol helps draw water to the skin. This helps keep the skin hydrated. Sorbitol also helps create a thicker texture in products. You might find sorbitol in your toothpaste and other gels.
It is a non-irritating ingredient that is great for those with dry skin.
Sorbitol is a prebiotic. It helps promote the growth of healthy bacteria on your skin. The bacteria on your skin form a microbiome. This microbiome helps protect your skin from infection and harmful bacteria.
Learn more about SorbitolWater. 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
