What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Polycaprolactone
StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingParaffin
Skin ConditioningSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Water, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Zea Mays Oil, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, CI 15985, CI 19140, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hydroxycitronellal, Phenoxyethanol, Magnesium Aspartate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Polyacrylamide, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Polycaprolactone, Panthenol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Linalool, Zinc Gluconate, Caprylyl Glycol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Copper Gluconate, Sorbitan Tristearate, Microcrystalline Wax, Paraffin, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Retinyl Palmitate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Laureth-7, Hexyl Cinnamal, Glycine Soja Oil, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Triethanolamine
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Propylparaben
Preservative
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Stearic Acid, Niacinamide, Isopropyl Myristate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Triethanolamine, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Methylparaben, Glutamic Acid, Sodium PCA, Propylparaben, Hydroxystearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Pyridoxine Hcl, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 StearateParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
