What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Polyacrylamide
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTrehalose
Humectant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Polyacrylamide, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Synthetic Beeswax, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Trehalose, Dimethiconol, Chlorphenesin, Laureth-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, C12-14 Pareth-12
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Methylpropanediol
SolventSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Glycine Soja Germ Extract
EmollientAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Trisodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Methylpropanediol, Synthetic Beeswax, Behenyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Octyldodecanol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Dimethicone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Trisodium EDTA, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol
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 CarbomerDimethicone 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 DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin 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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSynthetic beeswax is created to be identical in structure to beeswax. It possesses the same occlusive and emulsion properties.
A blend of fatty acid esters, fatty acids, and alcohols are used to create synthetic beeswax. Whether or not this ingredient is vegan depends on the source. Sometimes, lanolin is used for its creation.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Synthetic BeeswaxWater. 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
