What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingPolysilicone-11
Glycine Soja Sterols
EmollientPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin ConditioningMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
AbsorbentCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soybean Fiber
Skin ProtectingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientBisabolol
AntioxidantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantTetrahydrodiferuloylmethane
AntioxidantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLaureth-12
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Saccharide Isomerate, Stearic Acid, Polysilicone-11, Glycine Soja Sterols, Persea Gratissima Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Hydrolyzed Soybean Fiber, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Panthenol, Carbomer, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Laureth-12, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Fruit Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantButyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin ConditioningHexyldecanol
EmollientHexyldecyl Laurate
EmollientPalmitoyl Grape Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingErythritol
HumectantLecithin
EmollientMannitol
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingVitis Vinifera Juice
AntioxidantGlycine Soja Sterols
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan
CleansingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Phytate
Potassium Sorbate
PreservativeBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientHomarine Hcl
Skin ConditioningSodium Anisate
AntimicrobialAlcohol
AntimicrobialAcetyl Tetrapeptide-15
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingWater, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Water, Dicaprylyl Ether, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Hexyldecanol, Hexyldecyl Laurate, Palmitoyl Grape Seed Extract, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Erythritol, Lecithin, Mannitol, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Vitis Vinifera Juice, Glycine Soja Sterols, Butylene Glycol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Potassium Sorbate, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Levulinate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Homarine Hcl, Sodium Anisate, Alcohol, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-15, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 StearateGlycine Soja Sterols is derived from the soybean plant. Sterols are an organic compound and technically an alcohol.
Unlike solvent alcohols, glycine soja sterols have emollient properties and help hydrate the skin.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.
Sterols can be found in plants, animals, and fungi.
Learn more about Glycine Soja SterolsSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
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