What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningVinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Isohexadecane
EmollientIsopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Inositol
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Parfum
Masking
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningCopper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Water, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Isohexadecane, Isopropyl Isostearate, Panthenol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dimethicone, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Inositol, Behenyl Alcohol, Dimethiconol, PEG-100 Stearate, Parfum, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Zinc Gluconate, Magnesium Aspartate, Copper Gluconate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Cocoate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrisodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Cocoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Stearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Octyldodecanol, Ubiquinone, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Trisodium EDTA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 GlycerinStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholWater. 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
