What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientHexyl Laurate
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Biotinoyl Hexapeptide-2 Amide
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Isohexadecane, Hexyl Laurate, Dipropylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polysorbate 60, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Hyaluronic Acid, Biotinoyl Hexapeptide-2 Amide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexyl Cinnamal
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phellinus Linteus Extract
Skin ConditioningSedum Sarmentosum Extract
HumectantPolyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate
Skin ConditioningVinyldimethicone
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingSorbitol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Methicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Diisostearyl Malate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Sedum Sarmentosum Extract, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Palmitic Acid, Dipentaerythrityl Hexahydroxystearate/Hexastearate/Hexarosinate, Vinyldimethicone, Stearic Acid, Carbomer, Tromethamine, Sorbitol, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Myristic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 StearateHyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan (basically a long sugar chain) that your skin already makes on its own. In your skin, HA lives in the extracellular matrix and acts as the body's moisture reservoir.
Topically, HA is a humectant that binds water and helps skin look more plump, smooth, and hydrated.
The only catch is that HA isn't a single thing; it actually comes in a wide range of molecular weights (~50 - 2,000+ kDA) and size matters.
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
This is why the best HA serums blend the two sizes together so you get the best of both worlds.
The majority of cosmetic HA is produced by bacterial fermentation, typically using Streptococcus or Bacillus strains. Typical use levels in skincare sit around 0.1-2%.
A clinical study using a 0.2% low-molecular weight HA gel showed improvement in facial seborrheic dermatitis with excellent tolerance.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Hyaluronic AcidStearic 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 AcidTromethamine (aka THAM) is a synthetic amino acid that shows up in skincare as a helper ingredient.
It functions as a pH adjuster to help neutralize acidic ingredients and set a formula's pH to the right spot.
This matters a lot because a lot of actives (like vitamin C) needs a specific pH to work well and feel comfortable on skin.
Concentration use ranges from 0.1-1.0% depending on the formula.
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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
