What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Papain
Skin ConditioningBromelain
Skin ConditioningMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingLactic Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Malic Acid
Buffering
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
Perfuming
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Jojoba Esters, Stearic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Laurate, Phenoxyethanol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Sodium PCA, Allantoin, Panthenol, Papain, Bromelain, Maltodextrin, Glycine Soja Sterols, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Malic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Hyaluronic Acid, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
Emulsifying
Ribes Nigrum Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil
Masking
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
Preservative
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Ribes Nigrum Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Arginine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Lauryl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbic Acid, Citral
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 StearateHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilPhenoxyethanol 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.
Jojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilWater. 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
