What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Dimethicone
Emollient
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Glycol Stearate, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Petrolatum, Parfum, Dimethicone, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylparaben, Disodium EDTA, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Titanium Dioxide
Colloidal Oatmeal 2%
Absorbent
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingJojoba Esters
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-10 Phytosterol
EmulsifyingZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingEDTA
Tribehenin
Emollient
Colloidal Oatmeal 2%, Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Petrolatum, Propanediol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Jojoba Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Isohexadecane, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Ceramide Ng, C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Bisabolol, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polysorbate 60, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Potassium Hydroxide, EDTA, Tribehenin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl 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 DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearateMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenPetrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.
This ingredient is effective at reducing water loss by 99%. This is because it is an occlusive. Occlusives create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent evaporation. This property makes it great for hydrating dry skin.
Pro tip: Use occlusives, such as this ingredient, on damp skin for the best results.
The quality or origin of petrolatum is only known when disclosed by the brand. Most cosmetic petrolatum has gone through several purification stages.
Another benefit of occlusives is it protects your skin against infection or allergies.
Petrolatum is fungal acne safe. It is a hydrocarbon with no fatty acid structure, so Malassezia cannot metabolize it. In-vitro studies support negligible growth stimulation as well.
It's also worth noting that petrolatum has a comedogenic rating of 0. In updated rabbit ear testing (and in human testing), petrolatum was found to be not comedogenic. This means it didn’t promote comedone formation in standard models.
Learn more about PetrolatumTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
