What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Sorbitan Stearate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Laureth-7, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPEG-8
HumectantGlycereth-26
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Trehalose
Humectant
Mangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin ProtectingGelidiella Acerosa Extract
Skin ProtectingOlea Europaea Fruit Extract
BleachingTriticum Vulgare Bran Extract
Skin ConditioningCladosiphon Okamuranus Extract
Skin ConditioningAstrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingPEG-75
HumectantCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Pantethine
EmollientSorbitol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Oryzanol
Skin ConditioningBisabolol
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingDextrin
AbsorbentDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-8, Glycereth-26, Sucrose, Sorbitan Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Trehalose, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Extract, Triticum Vulgare Bran Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, PEG-75, Caffeine, Pantethine, Sorbitol, Butylene Glycol, Oryzanol, Bisabolol, Panthenol, Phytosterols, Tocopheryl Acetate, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hexylene Glycol, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Dextrin, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 14700, CI 19140
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateSorbitan Stearate comes from sorbitol and stearic acid. Sorbitol is a type of sugar and stearic acid is a fatty acid.
It is used as an emulsifier and helps ingredients stay together by creating water-in-oil emulsions.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.
Tocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
