What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Lecithin
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Squalene
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Oleth-10 Carboxylic Acid
CleansingBHA
Antioxidant
Toluene
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningEDTA
Propylene Glycol, Urea, Lecithin, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Carbomer, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Squalene, PEG-40 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Glycol Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, Oleth-10 Carboxylic Acid, BHA, Toluene, Water, EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Triethanolamine
BufferingCera Alba
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Steareth-10
Emulsifying
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Triethanolamine, Cera Alba, Cetyl Palmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Steareth-10, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Parfum, Laureth-7, Propylene Glycol, Tropolone, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolStearic 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
