What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Raphanus Sativus Root Extract
AstringentRosa Centifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Persea Gratissima Butter
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Euphrasia Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract
AstringentHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Flexuosus Oil
Masking
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Alba Flower Extract
Emollient
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Coconut Alkanes, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Raphanus Sativus Root Extract, Rosa Centifolia Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Euphrasia Officinalis Extract, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Cymbopogon Flexuosus Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Rosa Alba Flower Extract, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 StearateJojoba oil is one of the most well-studied plant-derived ingredients in cosmetics. It is an emollient with a special structure.
Because it is made up of 97-98% wax esters, it closely mirrors the linear monoesters found in human sebum. This makes it skin compatible, non-greasy, and lightweight.
Unlike other plant oils, jojoba wax doesn't easily penetrate skin. It mostly works in the uppermost layers as an emollient. This just means it forms a light barrier on the skin to help retain moisture.
Formulations with jojoba esters up to 90% reduced transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and increased barrier recovery by 81% (outperforming bisabolol at 47%).
Besides barrier support, the science also suggests jojoba to have anti-inflammatory effects and potential applications for skin infections, aging, and wound healing.
Fun fact: Indigenous cultures have used jojoba as a moisturizer and to help treat burns for centuries.
Due to its fatty acid content, Jojoba oil may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Simmondsia Chinensis Seed OilStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic 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
