What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Boron Nitride
Absorbent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Schisandra Sphenanthera Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientSphingomonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientMannitol
Humectant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Butylene Glycol, Boron Nitride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, CI 77891, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Polysorbate 20, Zea Mays Starch, Schisandra Sphenanthera Fruit Extract, Tin Oxide, Sorbitan Oleate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Isohexadecane, Sphingomonas Ferment Extract, Silica, Aluminum Hydroxide, Mannitol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Maltodextrin, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Mica, CI 77288, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Oryza Sativa Starch
AbsorbentPhenylene Bis-Diphenyltriazine
Stabilising
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingSilybum Marianum Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Glyceryl Dibehenate
Emollient
PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether
EmulsifyingCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantTocopheryl Glucoside
EmollientTribehenin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Octyldodecanol, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Oryza Sativa Starch, Phenylene Bis-Diphenyltriazine, Glycerin, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Benzoic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Glyceryl Behenate, Glyceryl Dibehenate, PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, CI 17200, Tocopheryl Glucoside, Tribehenin, Xanthan Gum
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 GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycolWater. 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
