What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-20 Stearate
Emulsifying
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningNeohesperidin Dihydrochalcone
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Bis-Behenyl/Isostearyl/Phytosteryl Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone, PEG-20 Stearate, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Panthenol, Silica, Adenosine, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Neohesperidin Dihydrochalcone, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Potassium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopherol, Octyldodecanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Propylene Glycol, Trideceth-6, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool, CI 14700, CI 19140, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactose
HumectantC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Propylparaben
Preservative
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Lactose, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-8, Stearyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, Panthenol, Carbomer, Isopropyl Myristate, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Propylparaben, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Copper Gluconate
Reviews
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 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 StearatePanthenol 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 PanthenolPeg-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.
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.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
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
