What's inside
What's inside
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 ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sclerotium Gum
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBetula Alba Juice
AstringentWater, Disodium EDTA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Sclerotium Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Betula Alba Juice
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 StearateWater. 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
