What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-16 Macadamia Glycerides
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPEG-100 Stearate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
S-Mu-Conotoxin Cniiic Acetate
Skin ConditioningCopper Lysinate/Prolinate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Lupine Protein
Skin ConditioningTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Methylglucoside Phosphate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylyl Methicone, Glycerin, Jojoba Esters, Niacinamide, PEG-16 Macadamia Glycerides, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-20, PEG-100 Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Alcohol Denat., Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Caffeine, S-Mu-Conotoxin Cniiic Acetate, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Arginine, Glycine, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Carbomer, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Coffea Robusta Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Rhizobian Gum
Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract
Skin ConditioningChrysanthellum Indicum Extract
Skin Conditioning
Asparagopsis Armata Extract
Skin ProtectingGlycosaminoglycans
EmollientSilica
Abrasive
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Hydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Disodium Rutinyl Disulfate
Antioxidant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbic Acid
Preservative
Trisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Triethanolamine
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Coffea Robusta Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Rhizobian Gum, Ascophyllum Nodosum Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Asparagopsis Armata Extract, Glycosaminoglycans, Silica, Silica Silylate, Hydroxyproline, Tocopherol, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Disodium Rutinyl Disulfate, Sorbitol, Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Oleate, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Hydroxide, Sorbic Acid, Trisodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer 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 CarbomerCitric 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 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 HyaluronateSodium 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 HydroxideWater. 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
