What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
PEG-4 Stearate
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Paeonia Suffruticosa Extract
Skin ConditioningEugenol
Perfuming
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Triethanolamine
BufferingCrithmum Maritimum Extract
Skin ConditioningCellulose Acetate Butyrate
Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate
Polycaprolactone
StabilisingPolyvinyl Alcohol
Poloxamer 188
EmulsifyingDimethiconol
Emollient
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingLimonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Sorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Rosa Gallica Flower Extract
AstringentMethylparaben
Preservative
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glyceryl Stearate Se, PEG-4 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Tocopherol, Lecithin, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Paeonia Suffruticosa Extract, Eugenol, Ethylparaben, Triethanolamine, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, Polyphosphorylcholine Glycol Acrylate, Polycaprolactone, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Poloxamer 188, Dimethiconol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Sorbitan Tristearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Ceramide NP, Disodium EDTA, Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Methylparaben, Octyldodecanol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Glycine Soja Oil, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Cocoate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
CI 40800
Cosmetic Colorant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Stearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Octyldodecanol, Ubiquinone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Biotin, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Zea Mays Oil, CI 40800, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolThis 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 ButterCetyl 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.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
