What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLanolin
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTocopherol
AntioxidantCetearyl Olivate
Colloidal Oatmeal
AbsorbentBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarrageenan
Glycine Soja Oil
EmollientParfum
MaskingAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantSodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentCitric Acid
BufferingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLac Powder
Skin ConditioningLinalool
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingWater, Lanolin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glycerin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Olivate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Benzyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Olivate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carrageenan, Glycine Soja Oil, Parfum, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Citric Acid, Hexyl Cinnamal, Lac Powder, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol, Citral
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSqualane
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCoconut Alkanes
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientMeadowfoam Estolide
Skin ConditioningPEG-100 Stearate
Cetearyl Alcohol
EmollientC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPhytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventLinoleic Acid
CleansingPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentTribehenin
EmollientCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeDipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantUrea
BufferingDilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer
Hydroxyproline Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
HumectantSodium Phytate
PEG-10 Phytosterol
EmulsifyingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingPalmitic Acid
EmollientLactic Acid
BufferingPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantTriacetin
AntimicrobialCastor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer
Sorbitan Isostearate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coconut Alkanes, Glyceryl Stearate, Meadowfoam Estolide, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Triheptanoin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Methylpropanediol, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Phytosterols, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tribehenin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Dipalmitoyl Hydroxyproline, Sodium PCA, Urea, Dilinoleic Acid/Butanediol Copolymer, Hydroxyproline Palmitamide, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Ceramide Ng, Trehalose, Sodium Phytate, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Hexylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Palmitic Acid, Lactic Acid, Polyquaternium-51, Tocopherol, Triacetin, Castor Oil/Ipdi Copolymer, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
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 lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl 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 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 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.
Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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