What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Cocoglycerides, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Panthenol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Carbomer, Zea Mays Starch, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Lecithin, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, P-Anisic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Euphorbia Cerifera Wax
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Vegetable Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sodium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Cetyl Alcohol, 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 CarbomerCetyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol 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 PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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
