What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Alpinia Officinarum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPhragmites Communis Extract
Skin ConditioningPoria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientHydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearyl Behenate
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Tromethamine
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Poloxamer 407
EmulsifyingPEG-100 Stearate
Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Polysorbate 60, Alpinia Officinarum Root Extract, Phragmites Communis Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Glycine, Alanine, Arginine, Serine, Glutamic Acid, Tocopherol, Adenosine, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Myristic Acid, Behenic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Acetyl Glucosamine, Cholesterol, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Behenate, Palmitic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium PCA, Sorbitan Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Tromethamine, Polysorbate 20, Poloxamer 407, PEG-100 Stearate, Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Lanolin Alcohol
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seedcake
Abrasive
Propylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Urea, Lanolin Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 15985, CI 19140, CI 17200
Reviews
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
