What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningStellaria Media Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingArachidyl Alcohol
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingBehenyl Alcohol
EmollientC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningCandida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment
AntimicrobialParfum
MaskingWater, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Stellaria Media Extract, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Glyceryl Stearate, C14-22 Alcohols, Carbomer, Arachidyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, Behenyl Alcohol, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Arachidyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Lactobacillus Ferment, Candida Bombicola/Glucose/Methyl Rapeseedate Ferment, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningBis-Hydroxyethoxypropyl Dimethicone
EmollientSynthetic Wax
AbrasiveC14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
EmollientGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Gluconolactone
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingThymol Trimethoxycinnamate
AntioxidantCholesterol
EmollientCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningGlucose
HumectantOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientHydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
EmollientMannitol
HumectantMyristic Acid
CleansingLauric Acid
CleansingTocopherol
AntioxidantCopernicia Cerifera Wax Extract
Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer
Silica
AbrasiveArachidic Acid
CleansingCaesalpinia Sappan Stem Powder
ExfoliatingOleic Acid
EmollientWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Bis-Hydroxyethoxypropyl Dimethicone, Synthetic Wax, C14-22 Alcohols, Squalane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Acetyl Glucosamine, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Tromethamine, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Gluconolactone, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Carbomer, Thymol Trimethoxycinnamate, Cholesterol, Ceramide NP, Glucose, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Mannitol, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Tocopherol, Copernicia Cerifera Wax Extract, Acrylates/Ammonium Methacrylate Copolymer, Silica, Arachidic Acid, Caesalpinia Sappan Stem Powder, Oleic Acid
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
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolWe don't have a description for C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside yet.
C14-22 Alcohols is made up of synthetic fatty alcohols. More specifically, these fatty alcohols contain 14 to 22 carbons in the alkyl chain.
Its main purpose is to stabilize products. As an emulsifier, it helps prevent waters and oils from separating.
Due to this ingredient having a similar composition to cetearyl alcohol, this ingredient may not be malassezia folliculitis safe. However, the risk is low and has been only shown by a single study, so SkinSort does not currently flag C14-22 Alcohols as a fungal acne trigger.
Learn more about C14-22 AlcoholsCarbomer 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 StearateThis ingredient is a synthetic ingredient with emollient and skin conditioner used to make skincare products feel more lightweight on the skin. It helps improve slip and spreadability without feeling greasy.
Because it is high molecular weight and lipophilic (oil loving), it remains on the surface of skin.
Tromethamine helps balance the pH and improve the texture of a product. It is synthetically created.
As an emulsifier, Tromethamine prevents oil and water ingredients from separating. This helps stabilize the product and elongate a product's shelf life. Tromethamine also makes a product thicker.
Tromethamine helps balance the pH level of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Oral Tromethanmine is an anti-inflammatory drug but plays the role of masking, adding fragrance, and/or balancing pH in skincare.
1,3-Propanediol, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-
Learn more about TromethamineWater. 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