What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Glucose
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMirabilis Jalapa Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-100 Stearate
PEG-8
HumectantPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPhragmites Karka Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysilicone-11
Poria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Water, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Bisabolol, Butylene Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Glucose, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Mirabilis Jalapa Extract, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-8, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Phragmites Karka Extract, Polysilicone-11, Poria Cocos Extract, Propanediol, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Laureth-3
EmulsifyingMethylparaben
Preservative
Dichlorobenzyl Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Ceteareth-20, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalane, Laureth-3, Methylparaben, Dichlorobenzyl Alcohol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Niacinamide, Ceramide AP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 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 StearateSqualane is the hydrogenated and shelf-stable form of squalene (a lipid that naturally occurs in human sebum).
It is an emollient and skin conditioning agent that is able to integrate seamlessly into the skin's lipid barrier without clogging pores.
This is due to how structurally similar it is to what your skin already produces.
Though it is mostly an emollient that helps soften and hydrate skin, it also has some humectant and occlusive action. Humectants help the skin retain moisture while occlusives seal it in, making squalane a triple-threat moisturizer.
Research shows it has antioxidant capabilities that help protect against stressors like UV exposure, specifically UVA induced oxidative stress. This study also found that it supports collagen biosynthesis in human dermal fibroblasts.
No clinical study has reported significant adverse effects and irritation reactions are very rare from this ingredient (even at 100% concentration).
Overall, it's a fantastic ingredient for hydration and is suitable for all skin types.
This depends on the source. Squalane can be derived from both plants and animals. Most squalane used in skincare comes from plants.
Please note: the source of squalane is only known if disclosed by the brand. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have any questions about their squalane.
Read more about squalene with an "e".
Though squalane is often called an oil, it’s technically not one. It is a hydrocarbon, meaning it is only made of carbon and hydrogen. True oils are triglycerides and made of fatty acids and glycerol.
The term “oil-free” isn’t regulated so companies can define it however they want. Some exclude all oils, while others just avoid mineral oil or comedogenic oils.
Squalane has a comedogenic rating of 1 from the original 1972 study that tested raw ingredients under occlusion on rabbit ears. This system is not standardized or peer-reviewed, and using the raw ingredients is very different from how diluted cosmetic formulations are used on human skin.
A comedogenic rating of 1 means it is "unlikely to clog pores" according to the original rating system.
The overall formula of a product matters more than the individual ingredients on whether or not it will cause clogged pores.
Learn more about SqualaneWater. 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
