What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-6 Palmitate/Succinate
Emulsifying
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPlukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialParfum
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Glucose
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Propanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Betaine, Sorbitol, Glyceryl Stearate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Sodium Levulinate, Polyglyceryl-6 Palmitate/Succinate, Behenyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Sodium Anisate, Parfum, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Glucose, Citric Acid, Citronellol, Geraniol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arachidyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol made from the the arachidic acid found in peanut oil.
Despite having "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethanol.
This ingredient is a multitasker:
Just be sure to patch this ingredient if you have a peanut allergy (though this ingredient is highly processed and the allergenic proteins are typically removed).
Learn more about Arachidyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 StearateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
