What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Kaolin
Abrasive
Bentonite
Absorbent
Glycerin
Humectant
Canadian Colloidal Clay
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Methylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77288
Cosmetic ColorantPropylparaben
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Water, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Kaolin, Bentonite, Glycerin, Canadian Colloidal Clay, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, CI 77891, Pentylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77288, Propylparaben, Butylene Glycol, Saccharide Isomerate, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Disodium EDTA, Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Magnesium PCA
Humectant
Manganese PCA
HumectantSodium PCA
Humectant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Menadione
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Silica, Beeswax, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Arginine, Carbomer, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Isohexadecane, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Polysorbate 80, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Parfum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Diisostearate, Magnesium PCA, Manganese PCA, Sodium PCA, Zinc PCA, Menadione
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 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 AlcoholCetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient ester. It comes from cetearyl alcohol and 2-ethylhexanoic acid.
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate is an emollient that adds a velvety feel to skin without being greasy or oily. Emollients help trap moisture into your skin, keeping your skin soft and hydrated.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolStearic 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 AcidWater. 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
