What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Methylpropanediol
SolventPolyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Methylpropanediol, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Stearyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Palmitic Acid, Sorbitan Stearate, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Myristic Acid, Lauric Acid, Oleic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tromethamine, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientHydroxypropyl Bislauramide Mea
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Surfactin
CleansingCholesterol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBehenic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
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 GlycolCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideDisodium 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 GlycerinWater. 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
