What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
EmollientOleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientDicaprylyl Maleate
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlycoproteins
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentCaviar Extract
Skin ConditioningCaulerpa Lentillifera Extract
Ceramide NP
Skin ConditioningRna
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningSodium Dna
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin ConditioningPullulan
Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAcetyl Tetrapeptide-5
HumectantTetrapeptide-3
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingButylene Glycol
HumectantPolyisobutene
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Steareth-20
CleansingPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingPropylene Glycol
HumectantSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientSucrose Stearate
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Oleate
CleansingSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingChrysin
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeChlorhexidine Digluconate
AntimicrobialSodium Dehydroacetate
PreservativeCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Oleic/Linoleic/Linolenic Polyglycerides, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Dicaprylyl Maleate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycoproteins, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Caviar Extract, Caulerpa Lentillifera Extract, Ceramide NP, Rna, Lactobacillus Ferment, Sodium Dna, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Pullulan, Hydrolyzed Rice Bran Protein, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Glycine Soja Oil, Tocopherol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tocopheryl Acetate, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Tetrapeptide-3, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Biotin, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Steareth-20, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sucrose Stearate, Caprylyl Glycol, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Oleate, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Chrysin, Parfum, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate, Citronellol, Geraniol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, CI 19140, CI 16035
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantLactose
HumectantC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-8
HumectantStearyl Alcohol
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientMethylparaben
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
BHT
AntioxidantPropylparaben
PreservativeMagnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin ConditioningChlorhexidine Digluconate
AntimicrobialRetinol
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingCopper Gluconate
Skin ConditioningWater, 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
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 CarbomerChlorhexidine Digluconate is a preservative.
Disodium 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 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 StearateWater. 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