What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate
SurfactantZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPoloxamer 188
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hydrolyzed Potato Starch Dodecenylsuccinate, Zea Mays Starch, Polysorbate 20, Poloxamer 188, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Polyacrylate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Isostearate
EmollientIsopropyl Isostearate
EmollientIsohexadecane
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingTrisiloxane
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSucrose Cocoate
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantSodium Hydroxide
Buffering
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glyceryl 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 StearatePeg-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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Sodium 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