What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMethyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantLauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningSilica
AbrasivePolyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin ConditioningMica
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSilica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientSodium Chloride
MaskingTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Tribehenin
EmollientDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantPropanediol
SolventPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningHamamelis Virginiana Extract
AntiseborrhoeicMethylpropanediol
SolventAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Methyl Trimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Silica, Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Chloride, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Tribehenin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Propanediol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Methylpropanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hexylene Glycol, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantTrimethylsiloxysilicate
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingButylene Glycol
HumectantSilica
AbrasiveCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientTremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion StabilisingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Sesquiisostearate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate
EmollientSodium Chloride
MaskingMagnesium Sulfate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyhydroxystearic Acid
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Glycerin, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Butylene Glycol, Silica, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Allantoin, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Glyceryl Behenate/Eicosadioate, Sodium Chloride, Magnesium Sulfate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCi 77891 is a white pigment from Titanium dioxide. It is naturally found in minerals such as rutile and ilmenite.
It's main function is to add a white color to cosmetics. It can also be mixed with other colors to create different shades.
Ci 77891 is commonly found in sunscreens due to its ability to block UV rays.
Learn more about CI 77891Disteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydrogenated Polydecene is an emollient. It creates a non-occlusive film on the skin that offers extra protection for your skin barrier.
The texture of Hydrogenated Polydecene ranges from light and silky to rich.
Hydrogenated Polydecene is the end compound of controlled hydrogenation of Polydecene.
Learn more about Hydrogenated PolydeceneIsononyl Isononanoate is a synthetic skin-conditioner and texture enhancer. It is created from nonanoic acid, a fatty acid found in cocoa and lavender oil.
As an emollient, Isononyl Isononanoate helps keep your skin soft and smooth. This is because emollients create a barrier on the skin to trap moisture in.
Isononyl Isononanoate helps give products a velvet feel and improves spreadability.
Learn more about Isononyl IsononanoatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Silica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideTocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.
Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.
Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.
You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.
There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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