What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningAstaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Arginine, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Polyglyceryl-10 Diisostearate, Butylene Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cyanocobalamin, Astaxanthin
Water
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
PEG-100 Stearate
Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract
AstringentRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialYeast Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningZea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Cholecalciferol
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
7-Dehydrocholesterol
Emulsion StabilisingPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylene Brassylate
MaskingVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Methyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingWater, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Cocamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride, Glyceryl Stearate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, PEG-100 Stearate, Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Yeast Ferment Extract, Zea Mays Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Oleosomes, Retinyl Palmitate, Cholecalciferol, Bisabolol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, 7-Dehydrocholesterol, Phospholipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Caprylyl Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylene Brassylate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Isopropyl Myristate, Methyldihydrojasmonate
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
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 TriglycerideCetyl 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 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 StearateStearic 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 AcidStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholWater. 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
