What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingCera Alba
EmollientJojoba Esters
EmollientCopernicia Cerifera Cera
EmollientOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentTapioca Starch
Stearic Acid
CleansingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialLeuconostoc Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
AbsorbentAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
PerfumingCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Water, Glycerin, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cera Alba, Jojoba Esters, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Oryza Sativa Extract, Tapioca Starch, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Water, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Leuconostoc Ferment Filtrate, Cellulose Gum, Glycine Soja Oil, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningCera Alba
EmollientSynthetic Beeswax
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCopernicia Cerifera Cera
EmollientDimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate
EmollientStearic Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientEthylhexyl Polyhydroxystearate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
EmulsifyingJojoba Esters
EmollientAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Arginine
MaskingLauric Acid
CleansingMyristic Acid
CleansingArachidic Acid
CleansingOleic Acid
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Cera Alba, Synthetic Beeswax, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Dimer Dilinoleyl Dimer Dilinoleate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexyl Polyhydroxystearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Jojoba Esters, Acacia Senegal Gum, Panthenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Arginine, Lauric Acid, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Oleic Acid, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cera alba is beeswax, or the wax used by bees to make honeycombs. It is a texture-enhancer and emollient. A study from 2003 found beeswax to be a stronger emollient than ingredients such as petroleum jelly.
As an emollient, beeswax helps hydrate the skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier traps moisture in.
Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients from separating. This helps create consistent texture.
The structure of beeswax is mainly long-chain alcohols and the esters of fatty acids.
There are three types of beeswax: yellow, white, and absolute. Yellow is pure beeswax taken from the honeycomb. White beeswax is created by filtering or bleaching yellow beeswax. Absolute beeswax is created by treating beeswax with alcohol. Beeswax used in cosmetics are purified.
Beeswax has been used throughout history and even in prehistoric times. Some common uses for beeswax still used today are making candles, as a waterproofing agent, and polish for leather.
Beeswax's wax esters are derived primarily from palmitic and oleic acid (C16 and C18:1). Both of these fall within the C11-C24 feeding window.
The Malassezia yeast can potentially cleave these esters and release usable fatty acids, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. However, not everyone will react to this ingredient.
Learn more about Cera AlbaThis ingredient comes from a palm tree native to Brazil. This ingredient is used to thicken texture and leaves behind a film when applied.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinJojoba Esters is a wax created from Jojoba oil. It is an emollient and film-forming ingredient. In bead form, it is an exfoliator.
This ingredient has high oxidative stability, meaning it doesn't break down when exposed to oxygen.
Its similarity to our skin's natural oils makes it a great emollient. Emollients help soften and soothe our skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, keeping skin hydrated.
It is created using either the hydrogenation or transesterification processes on jojoba oil.
Learn more about Jojoba EstersStearic 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 AcidWater. 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