What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dimethyl Ether
SolventWater
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dihydroxyacetone
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Decylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningButylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Coumarin
Perfuming
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantDimethyl Ether, Water, Alcohol Denat., Dihydroxyacetone, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycerin, Ethoxydiglycol, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Decylene Glycol, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Citronellol, Limonene, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Geraniol, Coumarin, CI 14700, CI 19140, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningIsoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
CI 77400
Cosmetic ColorantHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantTheobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Isoamyl Laurate, Dimethicone, CI 77400, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glycerin, Orbignya Oleifera Seed Oil, CI 77492, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Squalane, Tocopherol, Silica, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, CI 77491
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
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 TocopherolWater. 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
