What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-100 Stearate
Triethanolamine
BufferingCeteareth-20
CleansingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Isopropyl Palmitate, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-100 Stearate, Triethanolamine, Ceteareth-20, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Diazolidinyl Urea, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Panthenol, DMDM Hydantoin, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningAlgae Extract
EmollientPrunus Cerasus Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract
TonicLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Mentha Piperita Extract
CleansingChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Triethanolamine, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Algae Extract, Prunus Cerasus Fruit Extract, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Linalool, Mentha Piperita Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract
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 CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 StearatePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolStearic 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 AcidTriethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
