What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningUndecane
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Tridecane
Perfuming
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
Magnesium Sulfate
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingRosa Gallica Flower Extract
AstringentHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningIsobutane
Sorbitol
Humectant
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientDisodium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Acetylated Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Undecane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Tridecane, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Magnesium Sulfate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Isobutane, Sorbitol, Trihydroxystearin, Cellulose Gum, Aluminum Hydroxide, Disodium Phosphate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Acetylated Glycol Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Talc
Abrasive
Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer
C12-15 Alkyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Sulfate
Zinc Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantBis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone
Emollient
Amodimethicone
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Tribehenin
Emollient
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropylparaben
Preservative
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Propylene Carbonate
SolventHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingBHT
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Silica Silylate, Sodium PCA, Talc, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, C12-15 Alkyl Ethylhexanoate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Magnesium Sulfate, Zinc Stearate, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Amodimethicone, Laureth-7, Lecithin, Tribehenin, Methylparaben, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Phenoxyethanol, Trihydroxystearin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Dimethiconol, Xanthan Gum, Propylparaben, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Propylene Carbonate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, BHT, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
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 a silicone-based emulsifer that helps the water and oil phases play nicely together.
It's pretty effective because one end of the molecule loves oil and the other one loves water.
Besides holding formulas together, it also leaves a silky and lightweight feel on skin without the greasiness. A manufacturer also claims it can help with the controlled release of active ingredients.
The CIR Expert Panel found this ingredient to not be sensitizing in concentrations up to 15% in human maximazation testing and dimethicone-based compounds were not comedogenic.
It has a high molecular weight well above 1,000 g/mol which means it limits meaningful skin penetration.
A 2019 study specifically tested this ingredient and found no observable Malassezia growth in its presence.
Learn more about Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 DimethiconeDisteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteMagnesium Sulfate is a salt. More specifically, it is an epsom salt, or the bath salt used to help relieve muscle aches.
Despite having ‘sulfate’ in the name, it isn’t a surfactant or cleansing agent like sodium lauryl sulfate. Unlike those sulfates, magnesium sulfate doesn’t have the same cleansing or foaming properties (it's simply a type of salt).
In cosmetics, Magnesium Sulfate is used to thicken a product or help dilute other solids. It is a non-reactive and non-irritating ingredient.
One study shows magnesium deficiency may lead to inflammation of the skin. Applying magnesium topically may help reduce inflammation.
You can find this ingredient in sea water or mineral deposits.
Learn more about Magnesium SulfatePentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate (long name, huh?) is a synthetic antioxidant.
It is used to help stabilize other antioxidants or prevent the color from changing in a product.
As an antioxidant, it helps fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Thus, antioxidants may reduce the signs of aging.
This ingredient is oil-soluble.
Learn more about Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl HydroxyhydrocinnamatePentylene 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 GlycolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolTrihydroxystearin is what you get when you fully hydrogenate castor oil into a waxy, fine powder.
It's mostly a behind-the-scenes texture enhancer that's especially good at "thixotropic" thing where the product stays thick but applies nicely.
Because of its structure, it also acts as a mild skin conditioning emollient that helps soften skin while preventing moisture loss.
Safety studies show it to be safe and non-irritation in clinical tests. It's typically used in concentrations up to 5%.
Since its an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it falls into the C11-24 range that Malassezia can potentially feed on. This makes it not fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about TrihydroxystearinWater. 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
