What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Coriandrum Sativum Seed Oil
Emollient
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Paraffinum Liquidum, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-40 Stearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Citric Acid, Coriandrum Sativum Seed Oil, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Panthenol, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Sorbitan Tristearate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPolymethyl Methacrylate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingSteareth-21
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Tetrasodium EDTA
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Algin
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Pullulan
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingWater, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Steareth-2, Steareth-21, Phenoxyethanol, Butylene Glycol, Parfum, Glycerin, Trehalose, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Chlorphenesin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Citric Acid, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Serine, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Xylitol, Glucose, Algin, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Pullulan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, BHT, Potassium Phosphate
Reviews
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 AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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
