What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Disodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphates
CleansingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium PCA
Humectant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingMenthol
Masking
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Methylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Propylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Disodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphates, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Paraffinum Liquidum, Niacinamide, Xanthan Gum, Sodium PCA, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Menthol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Methylparaben, Sodium Propylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientAvena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDimethiconol
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Succinoglycan
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Chrysanthemum Parthenium Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethiconol, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Succinoglycan, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerAvena Sativa Kernel Extract is is derived from colloidal oatmeal. Besides being a healthy breakfast, oats have many benefits in skincare too.
This ingredient helps sooth, hydrate, and protect the skin. The starches in colloidal oatmeal are able to bind water, keeping the skin hydrated.
The cellulose and fiber in colloidal oatmeal help reduce inflammation. This can also help the skin feel softer.
Colloidal Oatmeal is also an antioxidant. Antioxidants protect our skin from free-radical damage.
Oatmeal also contains beneficial compounds:
This ingredient is created by mixing grounded oatmeal and a liquid base.
Learn more about Avena Sativa Kernel ExtractCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateWater. 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
