What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dimethicone
Emollient
Disiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Silica
Abrasive
Lilium Candidum Leaf Cell Extract
Skin ConditioningBambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDimethicone, Disiloxane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Silica, Lilium Candidum Leaf Cell Extract, Bambusa Arundinacea Stem Extract, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Silicate
BufferingMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Calcium Hydroxymethionine
Skin Conditioning3-Aminopropane Sulfonic Acid
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantDisodium EDTA
Water, Sodium Silicate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Calcium Hydroxymethionine, 3-Aminopropane Sulfonic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, CI 16035, CI 15985, Disodium EDTA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolEthylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid. It is a fatty acid ester.
The fatty acid content of Ethylhexyl Palmitate makes it an emollient. Emollients help soften and hydrate your skin by trapping moisture within.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is also used to help improve the texture of cosmetics. It helps other ingredient dissolve in products and help disperse ingredients more evenly.
You'll likely find this ingredient in sunscreen, as it is often used to mix UV-blocking ingredients such as avobenzone and ethylhexyl triazone.
It can also help stabilize the fragrances in a product as a fragrance fixative.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate can be used to substitute mineral oil.
Due to its high fatty acid content, it may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl PalmitateGlycerin (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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
This silica is mainly used to thicken oils and suspend particles in oils. It is not water soluble.
According to the manufacturer, it:
The manufacturer also claims this ingredient to be useful in makeup.
In lipstick formulations, this ingredient improves color payoff, reduces pigment settling, and reduces oil bleeding. This ingredient also improves the grip of powder products such as dry shampoos.
Learn more about Silica Dimethyl SilylateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate
