What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Myristate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Heptanoate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Tetrasodium EDTA
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Tapioca Starch
Limonene
Perfuming
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Myristyl Serinate
Skin ConditioningCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantMorus Alba Root Extract
BleachingCitronellol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citral
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Myristate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Stearyl Heptanoate, Glycerin, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Cetearyl Glucoside, Parfum, Allantoin, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Tetrasodium EDTA, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dehydroacetic Acid, Lecithin, Sodium PCA, Tapioca Starch, Limonene, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, Palmitoyl Myristyl Serinate, Caramel, Morus Alba Root Extract, Citronellol, Linalool, Tocopherol, Citral, Eugenol, Benzyl Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl 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 GlycerinWater. 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
