What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMontmorillonite
AbsorbentGlycerin
HumectantArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientOryza Sativa Bran Oil
EmollientMethylpropanediol
SolventEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantMagnesium Aluminometasilicate
AbsorbentGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientVolcanic Soil
Skin ConditioningPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialNiacinamide
SmoothingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingCeramide As
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAlchemilla Vulgaris Extract
AstringentBisabolol
AntioxidantSilica
AbrasiveEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSophora Flavescens Root Extract
AntioxidantTrehalose
HumectantOpuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantGlucose
HumectantLactobacillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingPropylene Glycol
HumectantSalicylic Acid
MaskingGentiana Scabra Extract
HumectantAmylopectin
Dextrin
AbsorbentFomes Officinalis Extract
Skin ProtectingPyrus Malus Bark Extract
AstringentCeramide Ns
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningPropylparaben
PreservativeGlycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRoyal Jelly Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Montmorillonite, Glycerin, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Cetearyl Alcohol, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Methylpropanediol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, CI 77891, Magnesium Aluminometasilicate, Glyceryl Stearate, Volcanic Soil, PEG-100 Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Glucoside, Allantoin, Chlorphenesin, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ceramide As, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Alchemilla Vulgaris Extract, Bisabolol, Silica, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Trehalose, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butylene Glycol, Glucose, Lactobacillus Ferment, Parfum, Ceramide NP, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Salicylic Acid, Gentiana Scabra Extract, Amylopectin, Dextrin, Fomes Officinalis Extract, Pyrus Malus Bark Extract, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Propylparaben, Glycyrrhiza Inflata Root Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, CI 77492
Water
Skin ConditioningBentonite
AbsorbentKaolin
AbrasiveGlycerin
HumectantPerlite
AbsorbentVolcanic Soil
Skin ConditioningManicouagan Clay
AbsorbentGlycolic Acid
BufferingCollagen
MoisturisingBifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate
HumectantSaccharomyces/Mother Of Pearl Ferment Lysate Filtrate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentCeteareth-25
CleansingCI 77499
Cosmetic Colorant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
AbrasiveXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantBisabolol
AntioxidantMenthyl Lactate
MaskingParfum
MaskingDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientPhytic Acid
Citrus Reticulata Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPaeonia Suffruticosa Extract
Skin ConditioningMichelia Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Extract
AntimicrobialDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePopulus Tremuloides Bark Extract
AntiseborrhoeicWater, Bentonite, Kaolin, Glycerin, Perlite, Volcanic Soil, Manicouagan Clay, Glycolic Acid, Collagen, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Barley Seed Ferment Filtrate, Saccharomyces/Mother Of Pearl Ferment Lysate Filtrate, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Zea Mays Starch, Ceteareth-25, CI 77499, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Xanthan Gum, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Titanium Dioxide, Bisabolol, Menthyl Lactate, Parfum, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Phytic Acid, Citrus Reticulata Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Paeonia Suffruticosa Extract, Michelia Alba Flower Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Extract, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Phenoxyethanol, Populus Tremuloides Bark Extract
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
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinBisabolol 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 BisabololButylene 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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 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 LecithinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumVolcanic Soil is an oil.
Water. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum