What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dimethicone
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone, Water, Isododecane, Glycerin, Silica, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingBoron Nitride
Absorbent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSilica
Abrasive
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
Water, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Coconut Alkanes, Caprylyl Methicone, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate, Glycerin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Boron Nitride, Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Glyceryl Caprylate, Silica, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Tocopherol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Phytate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone 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 DimethiconeDisteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (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 GlycerinSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
