What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Euphorbia Cerifera Cera
Astringent
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
Emulsifying1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Bakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBHT
Antioxidant
BHA
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Euphorbia Cerifera Cera, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Benzyl Alcohol, Bisabolol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Dehydroacetic Acid, Bakuchiol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Lecithin, Retinol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, BHT, BHA
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pistacia Lentiscus Gum
MaskingCrataegus Monogyna Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningJasminum Sambac Flower Extract
Masking
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Helichrysum Stoechas Extract
TonicHaberlea Rhodopensis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Cysteine
Antioxidant
Escin
TonicDiamond Powder
Abrasive
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate
EmollientSorbitan Palmitate
Emulsifying
Soy Isoflavones
Skin ConditioningBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Glycosphingolipids
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pistacia Lentiscus Gum, Crataegus Monogyna Flower Extract, Jasminum Sambac Flower Extract, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Helichrysum Stoechas Extract, Haberlea Rhodopensis Leaf Extract, Acetyl Cysteine, Escin, Diamond Powder, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Kaolin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Pentylene Glycol, Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Citric Acid, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Glyceryl Caprylate/Caprate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Soy Isoflavones, Beta-Sitosterol, Glycosphingolipids, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Benzoate, Lactic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearateLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPeg-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.
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate (SAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is the salt of ascorbic acid.
This ingredient is commonly used in skincare because it's more formulation-stable while still offering the same benefits as pure ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is notorious for breaking down when exposed to sunlight and oxygen whereas SAP has been shown to be more stable.
Studies show SAP has anti-acne and antioxidant benefits. One study found 5% of SAP lotion to be an effective ingredient for treating acne vulgaris. This is because research shows that SAP may help control acne by reducing acne-causing bacteria and slowing the oxidation of skin oils caused by UV exposure.
In addition to acne, vitamin C is important for skin structure. Lab studies suggest SAP may support collagen production in skin cells, making it a great ingredient in anti-aging routines.
Vitamin C has many benefits: it helps reduce redness, improve skin texture, fade the appearance of dark spots, and brighten the skin.
Read more about other types of Vitamin C:
Learn more about Sodium Ascorbyl PhosphateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
