What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningBrassica Campestris Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlucose
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Brassica Campestris Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Salicylic Acid, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Glucose, Parfum, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Eugenol, Linalool, Citronellol, Hydroxycitronellal, Amyl Cinnamal, Hexyl Cinnamal
Salicylic Acid 3%
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ammonium Lactate
Buffering
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Cholecalciferol
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Triethanolamine
BufferingMethylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid 3%, Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Ammonium Lactate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, PEG-100 Stearate, Zea Mays Oil, Cholecalciferol, Dimethicone, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Cholesterol, Phytosphingosine, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Disodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
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 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinSalicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is a well-known ingredient for treating skin that struggles with acne and clogged pores. It exfoliates both the skin's surface and deep within the pores to help clear out buildup, control oil, and reduce inflammation.
Unlike AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids), salicylic acid is oil-soluble. This allows it to penetrate into pores which makes it especially effective for treating blackheads and preventing future breakouts.
Salicylic acid is also known for its soothing properties. It has a similar structure to aspirin and can calm inflamed or irritated skin, making it a good option for acne-prone skin that is also sensitive.
Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.
It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing this ingredient into your routine.
While salicylic acid does not increase sun sensitivity, it’s still important to wear sunscreen daily to protect your skin.
If you are looking for the ingredient called BHA or Butylated Hydroxyanisole, click here.
Learn more about Salicylic 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
