What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate
StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Persea Gratissima Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Niacinamide, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Polysorbate 60, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sorbitan Isostearate, Alcohol, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate, Tocopherol, Glycine Soja Oil, CI 19140, CI 16035
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Phytate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Parfum
Masking
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Isoamyl Laurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Butylene Glycol, Lecithin, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Parfum, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.
Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.
In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.
This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl 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 GlycerinThis is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Phenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
