What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentBetaine
Humectant
Cucumis Melo Cantalupensis Fruit Extract
AstringentVanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentSodium Lactate
Buffering
PCA
Humectant
Alanine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Water, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Esters, Gluconolactone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Benzoate, Cetyl Palmitate, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Tocopherol, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Betaine, Cucumis Melo Cantalupensis Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Sodium PCA, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Lycium Chinense Fruit Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Sodium Lactate, PCA, Alanine, Serine, Glycine, Glutamic Acid, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline
Glycerin
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dibutyl Adipate
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Tapioca Starch
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Carnitine
Cleansing
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Glycerin, Urea, Glyceryl Stearate, Dibutyl Adipate, Stearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Lactate, Tapioca Starch, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Lactic Acid, Sodium PCA, Arginine Hcl, Glycine, Alanine, Carnitine, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alanine is an amino acid and is already found in the human body. Our skin uses alanine to build collagen, elastin, and keratin.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl 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 StearateGlycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, an AHA. It is a humectant and sometimes used to adjust the pH of a product.
This ingredient is part of our skin's NMF, or natural moisturizing factor. Our NMF is essential for the hydration of our top skin layers and plasticity of skin. NMF also influences our skin's natural acid mantle and pH, which protects our skin from harmful bacteria.
High percentages of Sodium Lactate can have an exfoliating effect.
Fun fact: Sodium Lactate is produced from fermented sugar.
Learn more about Sodium LactateSodium PCA is the sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid. It is naturally occurring in our skin's natural moisturizing factors where it works to maintain hydration.
The PCA stands for pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural amino acid derivative.
This ingredient has skin conditioning, anti-inflammatory, and humectant properties. Humectants help hydrate your skin by drawing moisture from the air. This helps keep your skin moisturized.
Learn more about Sodium PCAXanthan 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
