What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsocetyl Stearate
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Isocetyl Stearate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Squalane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate, Niacinamide, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Lauryl Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xylitol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Carrageenan
Emulsion StabilisingSclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Flower Extract
HumectantCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Maris Sal
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRobinia Pseudoacacia Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Linalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Ether, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Parfum, Xylitylglucoside, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Behenyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Lauryl Laurate, Silica, Anhydroxylitol, Tocopherol, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Xylitol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Allantoin, Sodium Gluconate, Lecithin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Sodium Carrageenan, Sclerotium Gum, Glycine Soja Oil, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Capryloyl Glycine, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Flower Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Pisum Sativum Extract, Disodium EDTA, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Maris Sal, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Fruit Extract, Robinia Pseudoacacia Flower Extract, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This 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 AlcoholCitric 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 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
