Water. 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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Butylene Glycol

Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
It helps improve product application.
It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Glycerin

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Tromethamine

Buffering, Masking

Tromethamine helps balance the pH and improve the texture of a product. It is synthetically created.

As an emulsifier, Tromethamine prevents oil and water ingredients from separating. This helps stabilize the product and elongate a product's shelf life. Tromethamine also makes a product thicker.

Tromethamine helps balance the pH level of a product. Normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5). The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome. Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.

Oral Tromethanmine is an anti-inflammatory drug but plays the role of masking, adding fragrance, and/or balancing pH in skincare.

1,3-Propanediol, 2-amino-2-(hydroxymethyl)-

Learn more about Tromethamine

Ingredient Ratings

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.

R.E.D Blemish Clear Soothing Cream

Dive-In Hyaluronic Acid Soothing Cream

When to use

Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream 42 ingredients

Dr.G R.E.D Blemish Clear Soothing Cream 37 ingredients

Torriden Dive-In Hyaluronic Acid Soothing Cream 44 ingredients

Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream 37 ingredients

682 Routines

37% use in am

63% use in pm

95% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

2,791 Routines

47% use in am

53% use in pm

96% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

1,227 Routines

51% use in am

49% use in pm

96% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

1,503 Routines

45% use in am

55% use in pm

95% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Aestura Atobarrier 365 Cream 42 ingredients

2.9 /5

from 14 ratings

Hydrating (7) Broke Me Out (6) Works Well (5)

that one sunscreen critic

1 year ago

Review

The renewal sucks, it's now greasy looking and feeling and possibly comedogenic now because of the Ethyhexyl Palmitate. WE WANT THE OLD FORMULATION BACK!!

#expensive

#oily

Aestura

Atobarrier 365 Cream

Ceci

1 year ago

Review

Loved it at first but made me breakout

#hydrating

#broke me out

#no scent

Aestura

Atobarrier 365 Cream

Dr.G R.E.D Blemish Clear Soothing Cream 37 ingredients

3.3 /5

from 67 ratings

No Scent (23) Expensive (22) Hydrating (21)

euna

1 year ago

Review

HATE it so much. i have oily skin and this made me look so oily that it looks like you could probably deep fry a dozen donuts if you extracted the oil from my face. this also inflamed my clogged pores and i'm pretty sure it clogged more of my pores.

#expensive

#broke me out

#irritating

#oily

Dr.G

R.E.D Blemish Clear Soothing Cream

Type: Jar

Ellie Nonaka

9 months ago

Review

♾️/10 best product ever for dry skin. Definitely don’t recommend for oily skin because the cream is meant for acne prone dry skin (says it on the product) and if you have combination skin/oily skin I recommend using a little bit because it can make you really oily

#great value

#hydrating

#light

#absorbs well

Dr.G

R.E.D Blemish Clear Soothing Cream

Type: Jar

Torriden Dive-In Hyaluronic Acid Soothing Cream 44 ingredients

3.0 /5

from 27 ratings

Light (14) Hydrating (11) Absorbs Well (9)

danielle varosa

10 months ago

Review

This is what Neutrogena Hydroboost Water Gel wishes it was. It's incredibly smooth and hydrating, absorbs well and isn't sticky. If you apply it while your skin is still wet from washing or using toner, it's great at sealing in the moisture.

#hydrating

#light

#absorbs well

#works well

Torriden

Dive-In Hyaluronic Acid Soothing Cream

LJ1

1 year ago

Review

I was excited to try this because many people recommended it for oily skin. I wanted to like this, but unfortunately, it just made me break out. I saw my texture get worse because I started getting closed comedones. I should have researched more because this has Corallina Officinalis Extract (rated 3/5 on the comedogenic scale), so if you are acne/clog-prone, avoid this!

#expensive

#broke me out

#oily

Torriden

Dive-In Hyaluronic Acid Soothing Cream

Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream 37 ingredients

2.7 /5

from 31 ratings

Broke Me Out (12) Hydrating (9) Sticky (7)

AnaRitaSantos

2 years ago

Review

Not oily skin friendly
Pros: elegant and beautiful consistency, lightweight, super powerful brightner (it really did made impact on my face acne scars). Cons: weird formulation with very little humectants and a lot of emolients. Not only my skin did not feel hydrated enough, I ended up with a very sticky oily film all over my face. The brightening abilities sometimes were too agressive, I could Show more