What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientGlyceryl Behenate
Emollient
4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
Masking
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningHibiscus Sabdariffa Callus Extract
Antioxidant
Urea
Buffering
Yeast Amino Acids
HumectantTrehalose
Humectant
Inositol
Humectant
Taurine
BufferingBetaine
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Erythritol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningArachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hectorite
AbsorbentGlyceryl Stearates
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Glucose
Humectant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Aspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Vaccinium Myrtillus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Diisostearyl Malate, Glyceryl Behenate, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Linoleic Acid, Phospholipids, Phytosterols, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Callus Extract, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Tocopherol, Jojoba Esters, Allantoin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Erythritol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Polyglycerin-3, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Arachidyl Alcohol, Hectorite, Glyceryl Stearates, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Arachidyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Glucose, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Aspergillus Ferment, Chlorphenesin
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Physalis Angulata Extract
Skin ProtectingCastanea Sativa Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Diheptyl Succinate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sorbitan Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Physalis Angulata Extract, Castanea Sativa Seed Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phytosphingosine, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
Water. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
