What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Stearate
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingSodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion StabilisingCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isononyl Isononanoate, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Dimethicone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Sodium Polyacrylate, Panthenol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Phenoxyethanol, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Bisabolol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Potassium Hydroxide, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingPalmitic Acid
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningOleyl Alcohol
EmollientArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientMyristyl Myristate
EmollientPanthenol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingDimethicone
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientBis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCandelilla Cera
EmollientBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Sodium Polyacrylate
AbsorbentPentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient4-T-Butylcyclohexanol
MaskingArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialMyristic Acid
CleansingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingSorbitol
HumectantVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantLimonene
PerfumingCoumarin
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantWater, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Oleyl Alcohol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Myristyl Myristate, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Bis-PEG/PPG-16/16 PEG/PPG-16/16 Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Candelilla Cera, Behenyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Arachidyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Myristic Acid, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Parfum, Sorbitol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Potassium Hydroxide, Adenosine, Citric Acid, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Limonene, Coumarin, Linalool, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. It does this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Shea butter is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may harm the body. It is also full of fatty acids including stearic acid and linoleic acid. These acids help replenish the skin and keep skin moisturized.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
Shea butter may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.
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 DimethiconeGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinIsononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.
As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.
Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.
Learn more about Isononyl IsononanoateNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideSodium Polyacrylate is the sodium salt of polyacrylic acid. It is used as an absorber, emollient, and stabilizer.
This ingredient is a super-absorbent polymer - meaning it can absorb 100 to 1000 times its mass in water. As an emollient, Sodium Polyacrylate helps soften and soothe skin. Emollients work by creating a barrier to trap moisture in. This helps keep your skin hydrated.
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. 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