What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Methylpropanediol
SolventPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glutathione
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Tocotrienols
Skin Conditioning
C15-19 Alkane
SolventDimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Polyacrylate-13
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Parfum, Methylpropanediol, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glutathione, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caffeine, Tocotrienols, C15-19 Alkane, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Palmitic Acid, Polyacrylate-13, Stearic Acid, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Gluconate, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, CI 42090, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningOctocrylene
UV Absorber
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Triethanolamine
BufferingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Water, Octocrylene, Diisopropyl Adipate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA
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 CarbomerCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneGlycerin (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 StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Triethanolamine (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
