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. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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

Palmitic Acid

Emollient, Emulsifying

Palmitic Acid is a fatty acid found in our skin. In cosmetics, it is usually derived from palm oil. It is a cleanser, emollient, and emulsifier.

As an emollient, it helps hydrate the skin. The emulsifying properties keep ingredients together in a product.

Palmitic Acid may not be fungal-acne safe.

Learn more about Palmitic Acid

Glycerin

Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.

A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.

Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.

This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

Learn more about Glycerin

Stearic Acid

Cleansing, Emulsifying, Emulsion Stabilising

Stearic Acid is a fatty acid. It is an emollient, emulsifier, and texture enhancer.

As an emollient, stearic acid helps soften skin. It aids the skin's protective barrier by preventing water loss. It also provides a gentle cleansing effect without stripping away natural oils.

Stearic acid may also be used to enhance the texture of products. It can add volume and stabilize ingredients such as water and oil. This can help water and oil ingredients from separating.

Sources of stearic acid include animal or vegetable fats/oils such as coconut or shea. It can be naturally found in butter, cocoa butter, shea butter, vegetable fats, and animal tallow.

This ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis, or fungal-acne safe.

Learn more about Stearic Acid

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

Hydrogenated Lecithin

Emulsifying, Skin Conditioning

Hydrogenated Lecithin is created from the hydrogenation of lecithin (a group of phospholipids). Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between hydrogen and another element.

This ingredient is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps soften skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.

Sorbitan Isostearate

Emulsifying

Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer and cleaning agent. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.

As an emulsifier, Sorbitan Isostearate prevents oils and water from separating.

Due to its isostearic acid base, it may not be safe for Malassezia or fungal acne.

Learn more about Sorbitan Isostearate

Butylene Glycol

Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:

It is a solvent, meaning that it helps to dissolve other ingredients. This also enhances the absorption of the product into one's skin.
It is a humectant, which means that it helps attract moisture into the skin.
It helps improve product application.
It has mild preservative properties.

Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.

Tocopherol

Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Tocopherol (also known as Vitamin E) is a common antioxidant used to help protect the skin from free-radicals and strengthen the skin barrier. It's also fat soluble - this means our skin is great at absorbing it.

Vitamin E also helps keep your natural skin lipids healthy. Your lipid skin barrier naturally consists of lipids, ceramides, and fatty acids. Vitamin E offers extra protection for your skin’s lipid barrier, keeping your skin healthy and nourished.

Another benefit is a bit of UV protection. Vitamin E helps reduce the damage caused by UVB rays. (It should not replace your sunscreen). Combining it with Vitamin C can decrease sunburned cells and hyperpigmentation after UV exposure.

You might have noticed Vitamin E + C often paired together. This is because it is great at stabilizing Vitamin C. Using the two together helps increase the effectiveness of both ingredients.

There are often claims that Vitamin E can reduce/prevent scarring, but these claims haven't been confirmed by scientific research.

Learn more about Tocopherol

Ingredient Ratings

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these products.

Beta Panthenol Repair Cream

Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream

When to use

Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream 66 ingredients

ILLIYOON Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream 42 ingredients

91 Routines

33% use in am

67% use in pm

89% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

1,647 Routines

37% use in am

63% use in pm

95% use every day

When to use See routines that use it ->

Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream 66 ingredients

4.2 /5

from 5 ratings

Hydrating (2) Light Scent (2) Works Well (2)

Yun ri

6 months ago

Review

good for dry skin and sensitif

#great value

#hydrating

#works well

Some By Mi

Beta Panthenol Repair Cream

Tyler Durden

4 months ago

Review

So far the bestttt moisturizer I've ever used, i used skintific moisturizer blue one and it's not that good, but thiss is a game changer, there's so manyyy peptides it tighten ur skin, my skin never looked so clear, bright and dewy , deeply hydrate ur skin as well

#great value

#hydrating

#light

#absorbs well

Some By Mi

Beta Panthenol Repair Cream

ILLIYOON Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream 42 ingredients

3.4 /5

from 56 ratings

Heavy (21) No Scent (18) Great Value (18)

raggedrobbin

1 year ago

Review

Unexpectedly nice on my sensitive and acne-prone skin. Didn't cause breakouts
and didn't feel heavy at all and worked great under makeup.

UPDATE:

I've come back to say that this is officially my moisturizer endgame and ultimate HG.

After trying out almost all of the (AB and non AB) barrier / repair moisturizers raved about online, my verdict is that not only is this (still) the Show more

#great value

#hydrating

#absorbs well

#no scent

ILLIYOON

Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream

Butter

1 year ago

Review

⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ 🤎

🥥 𝐌𝐲 𝐬𝐤𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐲𝐩𝐞: 𝐃𝐫𝐲/𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐚𝐜𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐜𝐳𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐞.

🪴 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬:

·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐜𝐳𝐞𝐦𝐚. 𝐈 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐞, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤, 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐬 & 𝐞𝐥𝐛𝐨𝐰𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐜𝐳𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈'𝐯𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐜𝐳𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐜𝐳𝐞𝐦𝐚 𝐇𝐀𝐒 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐭 Show more

#great value

#hydrating

#no scent

#works well

ILLIYOON

Ceramide Ato Concentrate Cream