What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Talc
Abrasive
Tapioca Starch
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Creatine
Skin Conditioning1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCera Microcristallina
Emulsion StabilisingParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cyclomethicone, Methylpropanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Talc, Tapioca Starch, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ubiquinone, Creatine, 1-Methylhydantoin-2-Imide, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cera Microcristallina, Paraffinum Liquidum, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Benzoic Acid, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sesame Protein Pg-Propyl Methylsilanediol
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate-13
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Polysilicone-11
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Polyisobutene
Acrylates Copolymer
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Vp/Polycarbamyl Polyglycol Ester
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Ceramide NP, Beta-Glucan, Ascorbic Acid, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sesame Protein Pg-Propyl Methylsilanediol, Caffeine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polyacrylate-13, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polysilicone-11, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyisobutene, Acrylates Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 60, Vp/Polycarbamyl Polyglycol Ester, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Cetearyl 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 AlcoholDimethicone 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 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
