What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Emulsifying Wax Nf
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCeteareth-20
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Palmitic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceteareth-20, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Titanium Dioxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Wasabia Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRetinol
Skin Conditioning
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Wasabia Japonica Root Extract, Retinol, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideStearic 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
