What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCanola Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cera Alba
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Zinc Sulfate
Antimicrobial
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientMagnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
Masking
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Water, Canola Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cera Alba, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Zinc Sulfate, Tocopherol, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Magnesium Stearate, Parfum, P-Anisic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Palmitate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Triacetin
AntimicrobialPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Powder
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Water, Glycerin, Urea, Octyldodecanol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Stearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Triacetin, Panthenol, Allantoin, Chondrus Crispus Powder, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Carboxymethyl Betaglucan, Caprylyl Glycol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid
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 ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolTocopherol 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
