What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientPEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate
EmollientC13-15 Alkane
SolventPEG-8 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingOryza Sativa Bran Oil
EmollientWater
Skin ConditioningPyrus Malus Seed Oil
EmollientParfum
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantInulin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAlpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
CleansingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingEchinacea Purpurea Extract
MoisturisingHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantMaltodextrin
AbsorbentTamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Oil
MaskingCrithmum Maritimum Callus Culture Filtrate
Skin ProtectingGlycerin
HumectantGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingPistacia Lentiscus Gum
MaskingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
EmollientPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningSwertia Chirata Extract
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Isopropyl Myristate, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, C13-15 Alkane, PEG-8 Diisostearate, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Water, Pyrus Malus Seed Oil, Parfum, Tocopheryl Acetate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides, Butylene Glycol, Inulin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Echinacea Purpurea Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Maltodextrin, Tamarindus Indica Seed Polysaccharide, Calendula Officinalis Flower Oil, Crithmum Maritimum Callus Culture Filtrate, Glycerin, Glycolipids, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Pistacia Lentiscus Gum, Potassium Hydroxide, Ceramide NP, Ethylhexylglycerin, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Phenethyl Alcohol, Phospholipids, Phytosphingosine, Swertia Chirata Extract
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientPEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantLitsea Cubeba Fruit Oil
MaskingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
AntioxidantCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingPelargonium Graveolens Oil
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningCanarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
PerfumingLactic Acid
BufferingGlycolic Acid
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingCitrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil
MaskingAnthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
MaskingCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycine
BufferingCamellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientLysine
Skin ConditioningLeucine
Skin ConditioningMethionine
Skin ConditioningFicus Carica Fruit Extract
HumectantValine
MaskingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingRhus Semialata Gall Extract
Skin ConditioningOxygen
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCysteine
AntioxidantAspartic Acid
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingArginine
MaskingTyrosine
MaskingPhenylalanine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingHistidine
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, PEG-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Litsea Cubeba Fruit Oil, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Water, Canarium Luzonicum Gum Nonvolatiles, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Oil, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycine, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Lysine, Leucine, Methionine, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Valine, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Oxygen, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cysteine, Aspartic Acid, Isoleucine, Alanine, Arginine, Tyrosine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Histidine
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Butylene 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 GlycolThis ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPEthylhexyl Palmitate, also known as octyl palmitate, is created from 2-ethylhexyl alcohol and palmitic acid. It is a fatty acid ester.
The fatty acid content of Ethylhexyl Palmitate makes it an emollient. Emollients help soften and hydrate your skin by trapping moisture within.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate is also used to help improve the texture of cosmetics. It helps other ingredient dissolve in products and help disperse ingredients more evenly.
You'll likely find this ingredient in sunscreen, as it is often used to mix UV-blocking ingredients such as avobenzone and ethylhexyl triazone.
It can also help stabilize the fragrances in a product as a fragrance fixative.
Ethylhexyl Palmitate can be used to substitute mineral oil.
Due to its high fatty acid content, it may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about Ethylhexyl PalmitateGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumPeg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate comes from Isostearic Acid and glycerin.
It is an emollient, emulsifier, and gentle cleanser. As an emollient, it helps trap moisture to keep skin soft and hydrated. Emulsifiers help prevent ingredients from separating.
This ingredient is common in oil-based products. This is because it helps oil-ingredients be easily washed away without leaving a residue.
Peg-20 Glyceryl Triisostearate may not be fungal-acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-20 Glyceryl TriisostearateTocopheryl 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