What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
BufferingTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Chrysanthemum Morifolium Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Rice Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
HumectantSaccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Glycerin, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Bis-Diglyceryl Polyacyladipate-2, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tromethamine, Titanium Dioxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Chrysanthemum Morifolium Flower Extract, Lactobacillus, Lactobacillus/Rice Ferment, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Potato Extract Ferment Filtrate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingLevulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Water, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Beta-Glucan, Gluconolactone, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum, Maltodextrin, Sorbitan Olivate, Sodium Gluconate, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sorbic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 StearateGlyceryl Stearate Citrate is a citric acid ester of glyceryl stearate.
It is an emulsifier, emollient, and a surfactant.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. It does this by preventing certain ingredients from separating. Common ingredients include oils and water, which do not mix naturally. Emulsifiers have properties that help keep ingredients such as these together.
Emollients help soothe and soften the skin. They do this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Surfactants help gather oils, dirt, and other pollutants from the skin. This helps them to be easily rinsed away.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate CitrateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
