What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-25
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Olus Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Panthenol, Ceteareth-25, Cetyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Squalane, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Olus Oil, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 60, Plukenetia Volubilis Seed Oil, PEG-8, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Emulsifying Wax Nf
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCeteareth-20
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Avena Sativa Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Glycerin, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetyl Alcohol, Sorbitol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Emulsifying Wax Nf, Palmitic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Ceteareth-20, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Citric Acid, Avena Sativa Kernel Oil, Titanium Dioxide
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 AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopheryl 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
