What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialShorea Robusta Seed Butter
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-20 Stearate
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Paraffin
Perfuming
Glycine Soja Protein
EmulsifyingTriethanolamine
BufferingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Acetyl Trifluoromethylphenyl Valylglycine
Skin ConditioningFaex Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates Copolymer
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dimethicone, Glycerin, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Shorea Robusta Seed Butter, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-20 Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Paraffin, Glycine Soja Protein, Triethanolamine, Caffeine, Isohexadecane, Phenethyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Acetyl Trifluoromethylphenyl Valylglycine, Faex Extract, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Acrylates Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Retinyl Palmitate, Potassium Sorbate, Methylparaben, Sodium Benzoate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Ethylparaben, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Disodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMica
Cosmetic ColorantMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Propylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Cetyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, Silica, Carbomer, CI 77891, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Mica, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Stearic Acid, Tin Oxide, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool, CI 15985, CI 19140, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is made up of Benzoic Acid and long chain alcohols. It has a low molecular weight.
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is an emollient and texture enhancer. Due to its solubility, it is often used in sunscreens to help evenly distribute active ingredients.
As an emollient, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate helps soften and hydrate your skin. Emollients create a film on your skin that traps moisture within.
This ingredient has been reported to cause eye irritation.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDimethicone 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 StearatePalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPeg-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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
