What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSqualane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentNiacinamide
SmoothingAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingMyristyl Myristate
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
CleansingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Zea Mays Starch, Niacinamide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Myristyl Myristate, Sodium Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Xanthan Gum, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Ceramide NP, Myristic Acid, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate Se
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantTridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientGlycol Palmitate
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCanola Oil
EmollientTriceteareth-4 Phosphate
EmulsifyingFructooligosaccharides
HumectantMannitol
HumectantXylitol
HumectantRhamnose
HumectantLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Germ Extract
EmollientAllantoin
Skin ConditioningGinkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPropylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientGlycol Stearate
EmollientPEG-2 Stearate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Glycol Palmitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Canola Oil, Triceteareth-4 Phosphate, Fructooligosaccharides, Mannitol, Xylitol, Rhamnose, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Allantoin, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Propylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Glycol Stearate, PEG-2 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum