What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isocetyl Stearate
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract
EmollientRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Ceteth-20
CleansingCapryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningDiheptyl Succinate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Stearate
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTrisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropanediol
Solvent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Glycolate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-2 Diisostearate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Isocetyl Stearate, Myristyl Myristate, Pentylene Glycol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Citrullus Lanatus Seed Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Adansonia Digitata Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phospholipids, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyglyceryl-10 Dioleate, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Ceteth-20, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Diheptyl Succinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Polysorbate 60, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Xanthan Gum, Trisodium Dicarboxymethyl Alaninate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Propanediol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Glycolate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Squalene
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Water, Propylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Beeswax, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, Myristyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Stearic 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 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 Water
