What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOctocrylene
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSilica
Abrasive
Propylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientCystine
MaskingGlycine
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
BHT
Antioxidant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
4-Ethylresorcinol
AntimicrobialBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Octocrylene, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Stearic Acid, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Titanium Dioxide, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Carbomer, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Methylparaben, Allantoin, Menthyl Lactate, Potassium Hydroxide, Silica, Propylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxystearic Acid, Pvp, Aluminum Hydroxide, Cystine, Glycine, Sodium PCA, BHT, Palmitic Acid, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, 4-Ethylresorcinol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide EOP, CI 14700
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Ocimum Basilicum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBoron Nitride
Absorbent
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Dextrin
AbsorbentStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Ceramide NP, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Panthenol, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Ocimum Basilicum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Boron Nitride, Palmitic Acid, Hydroxyacetophenone, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Adenosine, Tromethamine, Sorbitan Isostearate, Dextrin, Stearyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Reviews
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 CarbomerCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPDisodium 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 StearatePalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidStearic 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
