What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Sorbitol
Humectant
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Raspberry Seed Oil
Emollient
PPG-3 Caprylyl Ether
SolventBis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate
EmollientIsostearic Acid
Cleansing
Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen
Cleansing
Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Silk
Skin ConditioningSphingolipids
Emollient
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Isomerized Safflower Acid
Skin ConditioningAmodimethicone
Bis-Isobutyl PEG/PPG-10/7/Dimethicone Copolymer
Emulsifying
Dicocodimonium Chloride
EmulsifyingSteartrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Phytosteryl Isostearyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Arginine
Masking
PEG-90m
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Behentrimonium Chloride, Sorbitol, Isopentyldiol, Hydrogenated Raspberry Seed Oil, PPG-3 Caprylyl Ether, Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate, Isostearic Acid, Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Collagen, Isostearoyl Hydrolyzed Silk, Sphingolipids, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Glycolipids, Butylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Gluconolactone, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Pentylene Glycol, Isomerized Safflower Acid, Amodimethicone, Bis-Isobutyl PEG/PPG-10/7/Dimethicone Copolymer, Dicocodimonium Chloride, Steartrimonium Chloride, Phytosteryl Isostearyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Arginine, PEG-90m
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Quaternium-18
SurfactantHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningPEG-45m
HumectantCitric Acid
Buffering
Hydrolyzed Corn Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Creatine
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Soy Sterol Acetate
EmulsifyingTetrasodium EDTA
Methylchloroisothiazolinone
Preservative
Methylisothiazolinone
Preservative
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Cyclomethicone, Dimethicone, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Parfum, Quaternium-18, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, PEG-45m, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Creatine, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Polyquaternium-10, Benzophenone-4, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Panthenol, Phytosterols, Beta-Sitosterol, Soy Sterol Acetate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Methylchloroisothiazolinone, Methylisothiazolinone, CI 19140, CI 15985, CI 42090
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeHydrolyzed Soy Protein is a water-soluble blend of peptides and amino acids made by breaking down the protein from soybeans into smaller proteins.
It's the most widely used hydrolyzed vegetable protein in cosmetics and it acts mainly as a skin and hair conditioning agent.
The smaller fragments are water-loving so it forms a thin, moisture-retentive film on skin that helps reduce water loss and leaves things feeling softer and smoother.
You'll often see it credited with "firming" or "anti-aging" benefits as well; this claim traces back to lab research like Tokudome et al. (2012). This study added low-molecular-weight soybean peptides to cultured human skin fibroblasts and saw increased type I collagen gene expression + collagen content.
The caveat is that this is in-vitro and oral-peptide research so the only solid, well-established role for the topical ingredient is skin conditioning.
Typical use concentrations go up to 3.5% in mascara but this ingredient is typically used at low levels well under 1%.
It has a reassuring safety profile as well; it's not a skin irritant in testing up to 20% and has limited skin penetration due to its large size and water-loving nature.
Anyone with a known soy allergy should definitely patch test or skip this ingredient. There's also a single case of a soy-containing product aggravating rosacea via protein contact dermatitis, but this is very rare.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Soy ProteinWe don't have a description for Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine yet.
Water. 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
