What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyacrylamide
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
C9-11 Pareth-6
EmulsifyingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Inositol
Humectant
Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyacrylamide, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, C13-14 Isoparaffin, C9-11 Pareth-6, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Inositol, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, DMDM Hydantoin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Lactate, Parfum, Citric Acid, Bisabolol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis ingredient is a semi-synthetic polymer created from cellulose. In case you need a refresher, cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls.
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose has many uses:
- emulsifier
- create a gel-like texture
- boost foam
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Water. 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
