What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ceteareth-20
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantPEG-8/Smdi Copolymer
Palmitoyl Myristyl Serinate
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ceteareth-20, Dimethicone, PEG-8, PEG-8/Smdi Copolymer, Palmitoyl Myristyl Serinate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Butylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Triethanolamine, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycol Cetearate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate
EmollientDiisopropyl Adipate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
BHT
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycol Cetearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Hyaluronate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Octocrylene, Di-C12-13 Alkyl Malate, Diisopropyl Adipate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Phenoxyethanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, BHT
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCeteareth-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.
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 HyaluronateWater. 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
