What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Sorbitol
Humectant
C15-19 Alkane
SolventPolyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polyglycerin-6
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Propanediol, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Benzoate, Dicaprylyl Ether, Sorbitol, C15-19 Alkane, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Allantoin, Bisabolol, Citric Acid, Polyglycerin-6, Tocopheryl Acetate
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 5%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%
UV Absorber
Octocrylene 7%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
Dimethicone
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 5%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 5%, Octocrylene 7%, Water, Glycerin, Silica, Dimethicone, Niacinamide, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Myristic Acid, Myristyl Alcohol, Palmitic Acid, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Disodium EDTA, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, T-Butyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopherol
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 AllantoinCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidStearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
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 Stearyl AlcoholWater. 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
