What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Alanine
MaskingMaltose
MaskingGlycine
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Lidocaine Hcl
Arginine
Masking
Serine
Masking
Proline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Trehalose
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Fructose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
BufferingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
Masking
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingC10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters
Emulsifying
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Alanine, Maltose, Glycine, Allantoin, Lidocaine Hcl, Arginine, Serine, Proline, Threonine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Ceramide NP, Tropolone, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Trehalose, Betaine, Urea, Fructose, Glucose, PCA, Sodium PCA, Glutamic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Nylon-12
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPPG-15 Stearyl Ether
EmollientC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethiconol
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
BHT
Antioxidant
Biosaccharide Gum-2
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Nylon-12, Cyclohexasiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Polyacrylamide, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, C13-14 Isoparaffin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Dimethiconol, Laureth-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, BHT, Biosaccharide Gum-2, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.
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 DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinSodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSodium 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
