What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPEG-20 Stearate
EmulsifyingDimethicone
EmollientDimethyl Lauramine Oleate
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium PCA
HumectantDisodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphates
CleansingSodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentParfum
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeTriethanolamine
BufferingBenzoic Acid
MaskingDehydroacetic Acid
PreservativeSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzisothiazolinone
AntimicrobialWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, PEG-20 Stearate, Dimethicone, Dimethyl Lauramine Oleate, Carbomer, Sodium PCA, Disodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphates, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Triethanolamine, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzisothiazolinone
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSqualane
EmollientJojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters
Skin ConditioningIsosorbide Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
EmulsifyingNiacinamide
SmoothingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Eos
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantXylitylglucoside
HumectantAnhydroxylitol
HumectantBetaine
HumectantXylitol
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
EmollientGlucose
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantAscorbyl Palmitate
AntioxidantSqualene
EmollientPhytosteryl Macadamiate
Skin ConditioningPhytosterols
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCaprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantPolyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientBehenic Acid
CleansingSodium Carrageenan
Emulsion StabilisingSea Salt
AbrasiveXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlgin
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingCeteareth-25
CleansingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeBenzoic Acid
MaskingSorbic Acid
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Squalane, Jojoba Oil/Macadamia Seed Oil Esters, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Niacinamide, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Eos, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Betaine, Xylitol, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Jojoba Esters, Glucose, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Squalene, Phytosteryl Macadamiate, Phytosterols, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine, Saccharide Isomerate, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Anisate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenic Acid, Sodium Carrageenan, Sea Salt, Xanthan Gum, Algin, Carbomer, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Ceteareth-25, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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