What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
C12-16 Alcohols
EmollientPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-8
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caviar Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Hyaluronic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, C12-16 Alcohols, Palmitic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Dimethicone, Allantoin, Hexapeptide-8, Bisabolol, Tocopherol, Caviar Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientPolysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Serine
Masking
Urea
Buffering
Sorbitol
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Moschata Seed Oil
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Polysorbate 80, Beta-Glucan, Cetearyl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Serine, Urea, Sorbitol, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Rosa Moschata Seed Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethanolamine, Benzyl Alcohol, Sorbic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sorbitan Oleate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCetearyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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
