What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPetrolatum
Emollient
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Arachidyl Propionate
EmollientVp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract
RefreshingBHT
Antioxidant
Sorbitol
Humectant
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Petrolatum, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Arachidyl Propionate, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylene Glycol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sambucus Nigra Flower Extract, BHT, Sorbitol, CI 14700, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Squalene
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Water, Propylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Squalene, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Beeswax, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Stearic Acid, Myristyl Alcohol, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Elaeis Guineensis Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil
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 StearatePeg-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.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
