What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Isohexadecane
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water
Astringent
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingThymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingZinc PCA
Humectant
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Niacinamide, Isohexadecane, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Carbomer, Cetyl Alcohol, Citric Acid, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Water, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Thymus Vulgaris Flower/Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Zinc PCA
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingRubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Esters, Myristyl Myristate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Parfum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, CI 14700, CI 19140
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 GlycerinPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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 HydroxideTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
