What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Water
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingAlgin
Masking
Sucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cetyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa Bran Water, Glycerin, Polysorbate 80, Jojoba Esters, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Algin, Sucrose Cocoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polyglutamic Acid, Ceramide AP, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantSilica
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Volcanic Ash
Abrasive
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Bentonite
Absorbent
Kaolin
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pvp
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
PEG-100 Stearate
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingJuglans Regia Shell Powder
Abrasive
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Polyacrylate-13
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantMannitol
Humectant
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentSodium Metaphosphate
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPolyisobutene
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantMenthoxypropanediol
Masking
Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polyquaternium-10
Lecithin
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, CI 77891, Silica, Glycerin, Trehalose, Volcanic Ash, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Bentonite, Kaolin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Pvp, 1,2-Hexanediol, PEG-100 Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, CI 77499, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Xanthan Gum, Juglans Regia Shell Powder, Sorbitan Stearate, Zea Mays Starch, Polyacrylate-13, Polysorbate 20, CI 77492, Mannitol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Metaphosphate, Lactic Acid, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyisobutene, CI 77491, Menthoxypropanediol, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polyquaternium-10, Lecithin, Tocopherol
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
This 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 TriglycerideEthylhexylglycerin 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 StearatePalmitic Acid is a fatty acid naturally found in our skin and in many plant and animal sources.
In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It serves many purposes in skincare, acting as a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.
Interestingly, topically applied Palmitic Acid can be elongated into longer chain fatty acids and ceramides. A 2019 study found low levels of Palmitic Acid lead to slower development of cells, suggesting it plays a role in keeping your skin's renewal process on track.
The CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) panel determined it safe as used in cosmetics at concentrations up to 13%. It is non-irritating and non-sensitizing in clinical studies.
The culprit behind fungal acne, the Malassezia yeast, feeds on fatty acids with carbon chain lengths between C11-C24. Palmitic Acid, at C16, falls right into that sweet spot.
In vitro studies have shown that Palmitic Acid is one of the fatty acids that induce rapid Malassezia growth in lab settings.
It's worth noting that what feeds yeast in a lab doesn't necessarily feed it on your face since formulation and your skin's chemistry play a bigger role.
Learn more about Palmitic AcidPeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Sorbitan Stearate comes from sorbitol and stearic acid. Sorbitol is a type of sugar and stearic acid is a fatty acid.
It is used as an emulsifier and helps ingredients stay together by creating water-in-oil emulsions.
This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.
Stearic 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
