What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Oryza Sativa Cera
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Cera Alba
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-3 Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Water, Alcohol Denat., Oryza Sativa Cera, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Cera Alba, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Glycerin, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Behenyl Alcohol, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Cellulose Gum, Polyglyceryl-3 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Silica, Sodium Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Caffeine, Biotin, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Water
Skin ConditioningPullulan
Glycerin
Humectant
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate
Emulsifying
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Iron Oxides
Water, Pullulan, Glycerin, Synthetic Beeswax, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-2 Triisostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Biotin, Myristic Acid, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Xanthan Gum, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Biotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
This ingredient does have a comedogenic rating of 2, but this doesn't mean a formula with this ingredient will clog pores.
Human testing has proved that any finished product with a comedogenic ingredient won't automatically make you break out; it really comes down to concentration, formula, and your skin.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPolyhydroxystearic Acid is a vegetable-derived soft wax made from castor oil. It's an emulsion stabilizer, thickener, and film former.
You'll likely see it in sunscreens because it helps disperse pigments and UV-reflecting minerals like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide evenly.
Depending on the concentration, it can drastically change the texture of a product from pasty solid (like lipstick) to sprayable liquid.
The CIR Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety has concluded this ingredient to be safe in cosmetics. The highest reported use concentration is 14.2% in lipsticks.
Learn more about Polyhydroxystearic 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.
This ingredient does have a comedogenic rating of 2-3, but this doesn't mean a formula with this ingredient will clog pores.
Human testing has proved that any finished product with this ingredient won't automatically make you break out; it really comes down to concentration, formula, and your skin.
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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
