What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningLactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Olivate
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate
Emollient
PPG-3 Isostearyl Methyl Ether
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Steareth-2
EmulsifyingEthyl Lactyl Retinoate
Abrasive
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Oligopeptide-10
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Boswellia Serrata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Honey Extract
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLecithin
Emollient
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Pullulan
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Pentylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Olivate, Sorbitan Stearate, Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate, PPG-3 Isostearyl Methyl Ether, Glycerin, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Niacinamide, Zinc PCA, Steareth-2, Ethyl Lactyl Retinoate, Salicylic Acid, Oligopeptide-10, Sodium Hyaluronate, Decylene Glycol, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Bisabolol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Boswellia Serrata Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Honey Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Disodium EDTA, Pullulan, Ethylhexylglycerin, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate
Benzoyl Peroxide 10%
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingTriethanolamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Diazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Myristoyl Tripeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide
Cleansing
Chrysin
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantSteareth-20
CleansingN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzoyl Peroxide 10%, Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sorbitol, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Carbomer, Laureth-7, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, Diazolidinyl Urea, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Polysorbate 60, Stearic Acid, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Stearyl Alcohol, Retinol, Myristoyl Tripeptide-4, Bisabolol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Chrysin, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Steareth-20, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, BHT, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePhenoxyethanol 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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
