What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Lactose
HumectantC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tromethamine
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Propylparaben
Preservative
Magnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Copper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Lactose, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-8, Stearyl Alcohol, Tromethamine, Panthenol, Carbomer, Isopropyl Myristate, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Propylparaben, Magnesium Aspartate, Zinc Gluconate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Retinol, Polysorbate 20, Copper Gluconate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-100 Stearate
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Tetrapeptide-30
Skin Conditioning
Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingGallyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Darutoside
Skin ConditioningDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningOrnithine
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningBetaine
Humectant
Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Propanediol
Solvent
Squalane
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Polyacrylate-13
Xanthan Gum
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Levulinic Acid
Perfuming
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyisobutene
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propyl Gallate
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Jojoba Esters, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate, Niacinamide, PEG-100 Stearate, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tetrapeptide-30, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Gallyl Glucoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Darutoside, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Ornithine, Phospholipids, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Glycolipids, Betaine, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Beta-Glucan, Silica, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Propanediol, Squalane, Polysorbate 20, Polyacrylate-13, Xanthan Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Levulinic Acid, P-Anisic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Isostearate, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyisobutene, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Propyl Gallate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePeg-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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Water. 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
