What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientC15-19 Alkane
SolventIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Cocoate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicCentaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
Astringent
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzethonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
CI 60725
Cosmetic ColorantCI 61565
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Isododecane, C15-19 Alkane, Isopropyl Palmitate, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Ether, Biotin, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Benzethonium Chloride, CI 60725, CI 61565
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water
Skin Conditioning
Salicornia Herbacea Extract
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingSodium Chloride
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Maris Aqua
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Phormidium Persicinum Extract
Antioxidant
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water, Salicornia Herbacea Extract, Capryloyl Glycine, Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Potassium Sorbate, Maris Aqua, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propylene Glycol, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Phormidium Persicinum Extract, CI 42090
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium 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
