What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantDimethicone
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientSodium Styrene/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientIsobutane
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningDimethiconol
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Caprylyl Glycol
EmollientBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingT-Butyl Alcohol
PerfumingAcrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer
Tocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Ascorbic Acid, Dimethicone, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Potassium Hydroxide, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Styrene/Ma Copolymer, Stearyl Alcohol, Isobutane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Myristyl Alcohol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Xanthan Gum, T-Butyl Alcohol, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientSqualene
EmollientHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSorbitan Oleate
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
AntioxidantDisodium EDTA
Stearic Acid
CleansingMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingElaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningWater, Propylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Beeswax, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, Myristyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil
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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium 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 StearateMyristyl Alcohol is type of fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
As an emollient, myristyl alcohol hydrates the skin by trapping moisture in.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent alcohols.
The FDA allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Myristyl AlcoholPeg-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.
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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water