What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
EmulsifyingPolysilicone-11
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativePentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientJojoba Esters
EmollientCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
ExfoliatingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Citrate
BufferingPolyacrylamide
Boron Nitride
AbsorbentPolyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientC13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientAdenosine
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
BufferingParfum
MaskingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingCitrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningTin Oxide
AbrasiveTriethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
EmollientAlumina
AbrasiveLinalool
PerfumingMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alcohol Denat., Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Polysilicone-11, Phenoxyethanol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Jojoba Esters, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Polyacrylamide, Boron Nitride, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Cetyl Alcohol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Parfum, Laureth-7, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Tin Oxide, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Alumina, Linalool, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylyl Methicone
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventDimethicone
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Alcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialSodium Chloride
MaskingTriethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
EmollientAlumina
AbrasiveCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Citrate
BufferingTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Caprylyl Methicone, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Chloride, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Alumina, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Citrate, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Alumina is another name for the compound aluminum oxide. It is 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 AluminaCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.
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 DimethiconeDisodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinIsopropyl Titanium Triisostearate isn't fungal acne safe.
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.
Sodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateTriethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone is a type of silicone.
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.
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water