What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Salicylic Acid 0.5%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningSd Alcohol 40-B
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Citrulline
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Salicylic Acid 0.5%, Water, Sd Alcohol 40-B, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Ether, Niacinamide, Citrulline, Arginine, Methyl Gluceth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrangea Macrophylla Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBakuchiol
Antimicrobial
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyisobutene
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Allium Sativum Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Rutin
Antioxidant
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Vitis Vinifera Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingGlucose
Humectant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Butylene Glycol, Hydrangea Macrophylla Leaf Extract, Bakuchiol, Hyaluronic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinol, Allantoin, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Tocopherol, Behenyl Alcohol, Carbomer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Tromethamine, Cetearyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyisobutene, Arachidyl Glucoside, Hydroxyacetophenone, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Allium Sativum Bulb Extract, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sorbitan Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sorbitan Oleate, Rutin, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera Vine Extract, Sorbitan Isostearate, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Glucose, Sclerotium Gum, Xanthan Gum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer 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 CarbomerCetearyl 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDisodium 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 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 StearateRetinol is a gold-standard ingredient for anti-aging. It is a form of Vitamin A and belongs to the class of retinoids that also includes tretinoin.
Why is retinol famous?
It has the most scientific studies backing up its skin benefits out of all the non-prescription ingredients.
Retinol is proven to:
This is why retinol is effective at removing wrinkles, fading dark spots, treating acne, and reducing the appearance of pores.
Studies show retinol is less effective when exposed to UV. Be sure to look for appropriate packaging to keep your retinol potent (similar to Vitamin C).
Using retinol or any retinoids will increase sun-sensitivity in the first few months. Though studies show retinoids increase your skin's natural SPF with continuous use, it is best to always wear sunscreen and sun-protection.
We recommend speaking with a medical professional about using this ingredient during pregnancy.
Retinol may cause irritation in some people, so be sure to patch test. Experts recommend 'ramping up' retinol use: start using this ingredient once a week and work up to using it daily.
Read about Tretinoin
Learn more about RetinolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
