What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cupric Chloride
Skin ConditioningPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Leucine
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Sodium Salicylate
Preservative
C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Aloe Barbadensis Callus Powder
Antioxidant
Tocophersolan
Antioxidant
Dimethyl Sulfone
SolventCamphor
Masking
Menthol
Masking
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Xanthophylls
Skin ConditioningWater, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Squalane, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Cupric Chloride, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 80, Glycerin, PPG-2 Myristyl Ether Propionate, Phenoxyethanol, Leucine, Glycine, Sodium Salicylate, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Allantoin, Polysorbate 20, Aloe Barbadensis Callus Powder, Tocophersolan, Dimethyl Sulfone, Camphor, Menthol, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Ubiquinone, Xanthophylls
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlycine is the smallest amino acid and a key building block of collagen. It's part if your skin's Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
A study from 2022 found that an amino acid complex featuring taurine, arginine, and glycine significantly reduced skin irritation, improved redness, and accelerated the skin repair process.
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein is a vegan protein made to mimic hydrolyzed collagen. It is created from soy, or glycine soja.
This ingredient is a humectant, meaning it helps hydrate the skin by binding to water. According to a manufacturer, it is also a great hair conditioner.
Read more about hydrolyzed collagen here.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Soy ProteinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20This ingredient is the sodium salt of salicylic acid, the famous anti-acne ingredient.
Officially, this ingredient is used as a preservative. However, some studies found Sodium Salicylate to have exfoliating properties. Further studies are needed.
Tocophersolan is an antioxidant.
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
