What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningGlucuronolactone
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Glucosamine Hcl
Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPassiflora Incarnata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Capsicum Annuum Extract
MaskingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cassia Angustifolia Seed Polysaccharide, Glucuronolactone, Xanthan Gum, Fructooligosaccharides, Glucosamine Hcl, Cucumis Melo Fruit Extract, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Capsicum Annuum Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Phragmites Karka Extract
Skin ConditioningPoria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Aristotelia Chilensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Phragmites Karka Extract, Poria Cocos Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Aristotelia Chilensis Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCetearyl 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 GlycerinSodium 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 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
