What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Aminopropyl Dimethicone
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Stearyl Dihydroxypropyldimonium Oligosaccharides
Arginine
Masking
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Steartrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Honey
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Conchiolin Protein
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Stearyl Pg-Dimethylamine
Isoceteth-10
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ammonium Lactate
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Carbonate
BufferingWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Behentrimonium Chloride, Aminopropyl Dimethicone, Lactic Acid, Stearyl Dihydroxypropyldimonium Oligosaccharides, Arginine, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Steartrimonium Chloride, Honey, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Conchiolin Protein, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Stearyl Pg-Dimethylamine, Isoceteth-10, Propylene Glycol, Stearyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Ammonium Lactate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Carbonate
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate
Emollient
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Dihydroxymethylsilylpropoxy Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Casein
Skin ConditioningIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Maltitol
HumectantArginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Serine
Masking
Threonine
Valine
MaskingAlanine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Phenylalanine
Masking
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningHistidine
Humectant
PCA
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Sorbitol
Humectant
PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether
Skin ConditioningPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Behentrimonium Methosulfate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Alcohol, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, Isopentyldiol, Glycine Soja Sterols, Dihydroxymethylsilylpropoxy Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Casein, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Maltitol, Arginine, Glycine, Aspartic Acid, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Alanine, Proline, Phenylalanine, Isoleucine, Histidine, PCA, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Sorbitol, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Phenyl Trimethicone, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose Stearoxy Ether, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetrimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineButylene 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 GlycolCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium 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 EDTAWater. 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
