What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAnhydroxylitol
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Urea
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlucosamine Hcl
Xylitol
Humectant
BHT
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Yeast Amino Acids
HumectantBetaine
Humectant
Inositol
Humectant
Taurine
BufferingTrehalose
Humectant
Magnesium Chloride
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xylitylglucoside, Phenyl Trimethicone, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Anhydroxylitol, Isohexadecane, Chlorphenesin, Allantoin, Urea, Xanthan Gum, Glucosamine Hcl, Xylitol, BHT, Bisabolol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Polysorbate 80, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinyl Palmitate, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Yeast Amino Acids, Betaine, Inositol, Taurine, Trehalose, Magnesium Chloride, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
N-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChrysanthemum Parthenium Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
Water, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Urea, Cetyl Alcohol, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Squalane, Caprylyl Glycol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Allantoin, Persea Gratissima Oil, N-Butyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceramide NP, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA
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 ButterGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.
Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:
Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.
Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.
As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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
