What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingDistarch Phosphate
AbsorbentTapioca Starch
C13-15 Alkane
SolventBrassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Olivate
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientDiglycerin
HumectantSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingPolygonum Tinctorium Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningSqualane
EmollientSolanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialMaltodextrin
AbsorbentHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantLactic Acid
BufferingWater, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, Panthenol, Glyceryl Stearate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Distarch Phosphate, Tapioca Starch, C13-15 Alkane, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Olivate, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Diglycerin, Sorbitan Olivate, Polygonum Tinctorium Leaf Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Squalane, Solanum Lycopersicum Fruit Extract, Ceramide NP, Xanthan Gum, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Maltodextrin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Lactic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantMyristyl Alcohol
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialStearic Acid
CleansingPetrolatum
EmollientMyristyl Myristate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientHydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantLanolin Alcohol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-2 Caprate
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Myristyl Alcohol, Paraffinum Liquidum, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Stearic Acid, Petrolatum, Myristyl Myristate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Dimethicone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lanolin Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-2 Caprate, Parfum, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, 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.
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 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 StearateJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Fungal acne: The Malassezia yeast is known to metabolize fatty acids in the C11-24 range and jojoba's dominant fatty acid components fall into this range. This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilWater. 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