What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isohexadecane
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Distarch Phosphate
AbsorbentIsopropyl Isostearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
PEG-100 Stearate
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Niacinamide, Distarch Phosphate, Isopropyl Isostearate, Dimethicone, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dimethiconol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, PEG-100 Stearate, Titanium Dioxide, Mica, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBeeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-100 Stearate
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-20 Stearate
Emulsifying
Boswellia Serrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Manganese Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSoluble Collagen
Humectant
Atelocollagen
Skin Conditioning
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientSodium Chondroitin Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Imidazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde
Masking
Citronellol
Perfuming
Water, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isohexadecane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Dipropylene Glycol, Beeswax, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-20 Stearate, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Manganese Gluconate, Soluble Collagen, Atelocollagen, Dimethiconol, Polysorbate 80, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Imidazolidinyl Urea, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Benzyl Salicylate, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxyisohexyl 3-Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde, Citronellol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinIsohexadecane is added to enhance texture, emulsify, and to help cleanse. It is an isoparrafin. It is a component of petrolatum.
Due to its large size, Isohexadecane is not absorbed by the skin. Instead, it sits on top and acts as an emollient. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by trapping moisture within.
Isohexadecane is often used in products designed to help oily skin. It is lightweight and non-greasy while helping to moisturize. When mixed with silicones, it gives a product a silky feel.
Learn more about IsohexadecanePalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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 AcidStearyl 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.
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
