What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingParfum
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Stearamide Amp
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Orchis Mascula Flower Extract
SoothingWater
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Lauryl Alcohol
Emollient
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Camellia Sinensis Polyphenols
Antioxidant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Flower
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium EDTA
Water, Squalane, Cyclomethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Caffeine, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Lauryl Alcohol, Myristyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Caprylyl Glycol, Sorbic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Polyphenols, Resveratrol, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Bisabolol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Flower, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 20, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium EDTA
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetyl 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 AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlyceryl 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 StearatePhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
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
