What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ammonium Hydroxide
BufferingWater
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Dimethicone
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Methylparaben
Preservative
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Trimethylolpropane Triethylhexanoate
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAmmonium Hydroxide, Water, Arginine, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, Dimethicone, Disodium EDTA, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycolic Acid, Isopropyl Palmitate, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Methylparaben, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-40 Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Trimethylolpropane Triethylhexanoate, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
Emollient
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Ammonium Hydroxide
BufferingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Lanolin Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
We don't have a description for Ammonium Hydroxide yet.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 StearateGlycolic Acid is arguably the most famous alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) with tons of research backing its benefits.
It is found naturally in sugar cane but the form used in skincare is usually synthetic for purity and stability.
Glycolic acid removes the top layer of dead skin cells to allow newer and fresher ones to emerge.
AHAs work by breaking down the structural âglueâ that holds old skin cells in place. When that buildup is gone, your skin can renew itself more efficiently.
Research also shows glycolic acid stimulates collagen production, helping to firm and thicken the skin over time. This is one of its biggest advantages over other AHAs.
Overall, glycolic acid helps with:
Fun fact: Glycolic acid boosts skin hydration by helping it produce molecules that increase hyaluronic acid naturally.
To work best, glycolic acid products should have a pH between 3-4 (thatâs where exfoliation is most effective but still gentle on skin).
The pH and concentration of a product are key to its effectiveness:
It is normal to feel a slight stinging sensation when using glycolic acid. This usually fades as your skin adjusts.
Because glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size in the AHA family, it can penetrate deeper, which enhances its effectiveness but also makes it more likely to irritate sensitive skin.
If your skin is very sensitive or prone to rosacea, glycolic acid may be too strong; in that case, try milder options like lactic acid or a PHA instead.
Recent studies suggest glycolic acid might even help protect against UV damage. But donât skip sunscreen! Freshly exfoliated skin is more sensitive to the sun.
Glycolic acid is a skincare superstar. It smooths, brightens, hydrates, and firms the skin. Unless youâre highly sensitive, itâs well worth adding to your routine.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Glycolic AcidPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Peg-40 Stearate is a waxy solid made up of polyethylene glycol and stearic acid. It is an emulsifier and cleanser. Emulsifiers help oils and water mix.
Stearic acid is a a fatty acid. Therefore, Peg-40 stearate may not be fungal-acne safe.
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
