What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate
Emollient
Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate
EmollientNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Myristyl Nicotinate
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Stearoxymethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Astrocaryum Vulgare Kernel Oil
Skin Conditioning
Polysilicone-11
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-20
CleansingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Phaseolus Lunatus Seed Extract
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPolyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate
Emulsifying
Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil/Behenic Acid/Aminopropanediol Amides/Esters
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Extract
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningMethylglucoside Phosphate
Skin ConditioningCetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingCopper Lysinate/Prolinate
Skin ConditioningAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Dipotassium Phosphate
BufferingEthylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Isostearate
CleansingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantRutin
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraisostearate, Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Propanediol, Myristyl Nicotinate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Bis-Stearyl Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Theobroma Grandiflorum Seed Butter, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Stearate, Stearoxymethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Astrocaryum Murumuru Seed Butter, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Saccharide Isomerate, Panthenol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, PEG-40 Stearate, Astrocaryum Vulgare Kernel Oil, Polysilicone-11, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Ceteareth-20, Bisabolol, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Phaseolus Lunatus Seed Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Bacillus/Sea Salt Ferment Filtrate, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Polyglyceryl-4 Diisostearate/Polyhydroxystearate/Sebacate, Pentaclethra Macroloba Seed Oil/Behenic Acid/Aminopropanediol Amides/Esters, Helianthus Annuus Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Methylglucoside Phosphate, Cetyl Hydroxyethylcellulose, Adenosine, Isohexadecane, Sorbitan Isostearate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Copper Lysinate/Prolinate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dipotassium Phosphate, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Sodium Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Resveratrol, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Lactic Acid, Mica, Rutin, Tocopherol, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, CI 77891, CI 77491
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Squalane
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Squalane, Retinol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Benzyl Alcohol, Phospholipids, Tocopherol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Glycine Soja Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycolipids, Dehydroacetic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Glycine Soja Sterols, T-Butyl Alcohol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl 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 is a synthetic polymer. It helps improve the texture of products by adding thickness and gel-like feel.
It is also an emulsifer, meaning it prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It also helps evenly disperse other ingredients.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Sorbitan Isostearate is an emulsifer. It is created from isostearic acid and sorbitol.
As an emulsifier, it keeps the water and oil ingredients from separating. This keeps formulas stable and smooth.
In a 24 hour occlusive patch test on 56 subjects, 10% sorbitan isostearate was completely non-irritating. Most formulas use less than 10%.
Because it's a fatty acid ester, it may not be fungal acne safe since the Malassezia yeast can utilize it as a nutrient source.
Learn more about Sorbitan IsostearateTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
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
