What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingStearamide Amp
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Meal Extract
SoothingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Nitrate
SoothingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil
Coumarin
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
Masking
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glycol Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycine Soja Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Triethanolamine, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Carbomer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Stearamide Amp, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Caramel, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Avena Sativa Meal Extract, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Nitrate, Disodium Phosphate, Polysorbate 60, Sodium Phosphate, Citric Acid, Benzyl Salicylate, Citrus Aurantium Peel Oil, Coumarin, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, CI 17200, CI 19140, CI 15985
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is a plant-derived extract from the nuts of the Africa shea tree and one of the most well-studied emollients.
Because it has a high concentration of fatty acids (primarily oleic, stearic, and linoleic) it is able to form a protective barrier on the skin's surface. This helps seal in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL).
In vitro research found an increase in skin hydration by 58% and a decrease in TEWL by 37.8% after 24 hours of applying this ingredient (pretty impressive for a single ingredient!).
Besides hydration, shea butter also contains triterpenes that have anti-inflammatory potential. In particule, lupeol cinnamate has shown the highest anti-inflammatory activity in vivo.
Shea butter also contains vitamins A and E which may contribute to antioxidant activity.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe because its fatty acids fall within the C11-C24 range that the Malassezia yeast can metabolize.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterCetyl 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.
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 GlycerinIsopropyl Palmitate is a texture enhancer and emollient. It is an ester of isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
Palmitates are emollients. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by creating a barrier that traps moisture in.
When added to cosmetics, Isopropyl Palmitate creates a silky texture and improves spreadability.
Isopropyl Palmitate may not be fungal acne safe. It can worsen acne prone skin.
Learn more about Isopropyl PalmitateWater. 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
