What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientIsostearyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
PEG-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isostearyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Sucrose Cocoate, Carbomer, Parfum, PEG-4 Laurate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Polyacrylamide
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Polyacrylamide, Sorbitan Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Synthetic Beeswax, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Chlorphenesin, Laureth-7, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, C12-14 Pareth-12, 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.
Carbomer 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 CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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
