What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Silica
Abrasive
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-20 Stearate
Emulsifying
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Arginine PCA
HumectantSerine
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclohexasiloxane, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Isohexadecane, Zea Mays Starch, Silica, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Beeswax, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, PEG-20 Stearate, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethiconol, Arginine PCA, Serine, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Linseed Extract, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientDecyl Cocoate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Corylus Avellana Seed Oil
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides
EmollientOlive Glycerides
Emulsifying
Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Nylon 6/12
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Dibehenate
Emollient
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Tribehenin
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Triethanolamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Cinnamyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Decyl Cocoate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isododecane, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Vegetable Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Corylus Avellana Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Oil, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides, Olive Glycerides, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Nylon 6/12, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Polyacrylate, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Menthyl Lactate, Tribehenin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glyceryl Behenate, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Ceramide NP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Geraniol, Citronellol, Cinnamyl Alcohol, Linalool, Eugenol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 StearatePeg-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 one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
