What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex
Antioxidant
Mevalonolactone
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Carbomer, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Zinc Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Bisabolol, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex, Mevalonolactone, Beta-Glucan, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Avena Sativa Seed Water
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Water
Skin ConditioningStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Reviews
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCarbomer 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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 StearateWater. 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
