What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Magnesium Sulfate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Sodium Palmitoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, C30-45 Alkyl Dimethicone, Isohexadecane, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethiconol, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Sodium Benzoate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Carboxymethyl Beta-Glucan, Citric Acid, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Nylon-12
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Glycine
CleansingMalus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides
EmollientHydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Ammonium Hydroxide
BufferingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylene Brassylate
MaskingMethyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingIsobutyl Methyl Tetrahydropyranol
MaskingMethyl Decenol
Masking
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Acetyl Glucosamine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Triethyl Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, Dimethicone, Ethoxydiglycol, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Nylon-12, Isostearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitoyl Glycine, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Dimethiconol, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Lecithin, PEG-40 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Bisulfite, Disodium EDTA, Ammonium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylene Brassylate, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Isobutyl Methyl Tetrahydropyranol, Methyl Decenol, Caramel, CI 19140
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
