What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Rosa Centifolia Flower Water
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Boswellia Carterii Oil
Masking
Erythritol
Humectant
Carrageenan
Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingSodium Phytate
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Geraniol
Perfuming
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Panthenol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Glyceryl Caprylate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Alcohol, Diheptyl Succinate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Powder, Tocopherol, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Sodium PCA, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Propanediol, Boswellia Carterii Oil, Erythritol, Carrageenan, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Sodium Phytate, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Limonene, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Benzoic Acid, Geraniol, Sorbic Acid, Linalool, Dehydroacetic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylatePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
