What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Benzophenone-3
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Caprylyl Caprylate
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Adipate
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientEthylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Polyester-7
Skin ConditioningMethylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Xylitol
Humectant
Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Ceteareth-20
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningWater, Dibutyl Adipate, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Propylene Glycol, Silica, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetearyl Alcohol, Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Polyester-7, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Xylitol, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Phenoxyethanol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Chlorphenesin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Triethanolamine, Decyl Glucoside, Ceteareth-20, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glycerin, Tocopherol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Glucose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hyaluronate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Cetearyl 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.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
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 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Water. 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
