What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPyrus Communis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingEuphorbia Cerifera Wax
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Glycolic Acid, Urea, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Salicylic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Dimethicone, Vegetable Oil, Allantoin, Hibiscus Sabdariffa Flower Extract, Pyrus Communis Fruit Extract, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Euphorbia Cerifera Wax, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Urea
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrehalose
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Arnica Montana Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 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 HydroxideTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.
Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:
Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.
Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.
As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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
