What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Hexyldecyl Stearate
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Nylon-12
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Methylparaben
Preservative
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Propylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Erythorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
BHT
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Dimethicone, Hexyldecyl Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Caprylyl Methicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Squalane, Cetearyl Glucoside, Nylon-12, Behenyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Methylparaben, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Panthenol, Arginine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Erythorbic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, BHT, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialStearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDiazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Melibiose
HumectantPropylparaben
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
Ascorbic Acid/Orange/Citrus Limon/Citrus Aurantifolia Polypeptides
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cetyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Dimethicone, Tocopheryl Acetate, Silica, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Panthenol, Bisabolol, Melibiose, Propylparaben, Tetrasodium EDTA, Ascorbic Acid/Orange/Citrus Limon/Citrus Aurantifolia Polypeptides, Retinyl Palmitate, Mica
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololDimethicone 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 StearateMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPeg-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.
Propylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben with antifungal and antimicrobial properties.
This ingredient can be naturally found in plants and insects, but most of it is synthetically manufactured for human use. In cosmetics, it is usually created by reacting para-aminobenzoic acid and propanol (an alcohol).
You can usually find this ingredient in water-based products.
Parabens have come under controversy due to the claim they are hormone disruptors. Studies show conflicting results. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Propylparaben is commonly found in food, medicine, and cosmetics.
Learn more about PropylparabenWater. 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
