What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Secale Cereale Seed Extract
Abrasive
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Gel FormingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Steareth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBehenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingJojoba Esters
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Propanediol, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Pentylene Glycol, Betaine, Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Caffeine, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Disodium EDTA, Secale Cereale Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Stearalkonium Hectorite, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Steareth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, Biotin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Jojoba Esters, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isohexadecane
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Propylene Glycol Alginate
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Disodium EDTA
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Linolenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Glyceryl Palmitate
EmollientGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Dextran Sulfate
Gel Forming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Glucoside
EmollientVanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isohexadecane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Methyl Gluceth-20, Propylene Glycol Alginate, Bakuchiol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Glyceryl Linoleate, Glyceryl Linolenate, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Palmitate, Glycine Soja Oil, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitol, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Glucoside, Vanilla Tahitensis Fruit Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone 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 DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
