What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSpirulina Maxima Extract
SmoothingLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Water
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Brassicamidopropyl Dimethylamine
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Vanillin
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Limonene
Perfuming
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 GlycerinWater. 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
