What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate
Emollient
Sodium Chloride
MaskingMagnesium Sulfate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Glycerin, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Allantoin, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningUndecane
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Tridecane
Perfuming
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
Magnesium Sulfate
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingRosa Gallica Flower Extract
AstringentHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningIsobutane
Sorbitol
Humectant
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientDisodium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Acetylated Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Undecane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Tridecane, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Pentylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Magnesium Sulfate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Rosa Gallica Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Isobutane, Sorbitol, Trihydroxystearin, Cellulose Gum, Aluminum Hydroxide, Disodium Phosphate, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Propanediol, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Acetylated Glycol Stearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylonitrile/Methyl Methacrylate/Vinylidene Chloride Copolymer, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, 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.
Disteardimonium 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 HectoriteEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilMagnesium Sulfate is a salt. More specifically, it is an epsom salt, or the bath salt used to help relieve muscle aches.
Despite having ‘sulfate’ in the name, it isn’t a surfactant or cleansing agent like sodium lauryl sulfate. Unlike those sulfates, magnesium sulfate doesn’t have the same cleansing or foaming properties (it's simply a type of salt).
In cosmetics, Magnesium Sulfate is used to thicken a product or help dilute other solids. It is a non-reactive and non-irritating ingredient.
One study shows magnesium deficiency may lead to inflammation of the skin. Applying magnesium topically may help reduce inflammation.
You can find this ingredient in sea water or mineral deposits.
Learn more about Magnesium SulfatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopherol 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
