What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Saposhnikovia Divaricata Root Extract
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingWater
Skin ConditioningPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Lauramide DEA
Surfactant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientOzokerite
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Sodium Chloride
MaskingStearyl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Palm Acid
Capric Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Saposhnikovia Divaricata Root Extract, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Water, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, PEG-100 Stearate, Lauramide DEA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ozokerite, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Beeswax, Sodium Chloride, Stearyl Stearate, Hydrogenated Palm Acid, Capric Acid, Oleic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Parfum, Linalool, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sea Water
HumectantCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingSapindus Mukorossi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract
MaskingHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientCitric Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Disodium EDTA
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sea Water, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Sapindus Mukorossi Fruit Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Coco-Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Citric Acid, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Maltodextrin, Disodium EDTA, Limonene, Linalool
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.
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 preservatives
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylateGlyceryl 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 StearateGlyceryl Stearate Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SeLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolWater. 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
