What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Polysilicone-11
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Soybean Fiber
Skin ProtectingMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
AbsorbentCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLaureth-12
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dextran
Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Polysilicone-11, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Saccharide Isomerate, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glycine Soja Sterols, Persea Gratissima Oil, Hydrolyzed Soybean Fiber, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Tocopherol, Tetrahydrodiferuloylmethane, Panthenol, Carbomer, Hexylene Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Laureth-12, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Dextran, Tripeptide-1, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningAlgae Extract
EmollientPrunus Cerasus Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract
TonicLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Mentha Piperita Extract
CleansingChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Triethanolamine, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Algae Extract, Prunus Cerasus Fruit Extract, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Linalool, Mentha Piperita Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Reviews
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 AllantoinCaprylyl 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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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 StearateThough this ingredient might sound like a juicy fruit extract, it's actually the fat pressed from the mango seed kernel (or the pit). In skincare, it behaves more like shea butter and cocoa butter than like a plant active.
The fatty acid makeup of mango seed butter makes it special; it's typically rich in stearic acid and oleic acid, with small amounts of palmitic and linoleic acid. This combo helps it melt on skin, feel creamy, and leave behind a protective "seal" that slows down water loss.
It also contains a small amount of "extras" like tocopherols (vitamin E) and phytosterols, which are often used to support skin soothing.
Due to its fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Mangifera Indica Seed ButterPanthenol 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 PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
