What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Coffea Arabica Seed Powder
Abrasive
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Cocos Nucifera Shell Powder
Abrasive
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBrassica Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil
Emollient
Ziziphus Mauritiana Leaf
Skin ProtectingAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Dipteryx Odorata Bean Extract
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pistacia Vera Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSalicylic Acid
Masking
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Oryza Sativa
Nigella Sativa Seed Extract
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Callus Extract
Skin ProtectingHydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
CI 75810
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Kaolin, Glycolic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Gluconolactone, Sodium Hydroxide, Brassica Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Schinziophyton Rautanenii Kernel Oil, Ziziphus Mauritiana Leaf, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Dipteryx Odorata Bean Extract, Panthenol, Pistacia Vera Seed Extract, Salicylic Acid, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopherol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Oryza Sativa, Nigella Sativa Seed Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Acer Saccharum Extract, Curcuma Longa Callus Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Maltodextrin, CI 75810
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCetearyl 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 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.
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate is an amino-acid based emulsifier. It is made by combining stearic acid with L-glutamic acid and neutralizing it to a sodium salt.
As an emulsifier, it works mainly as an oil-in-water one and helps keep the oil and water in your formulas blended. It also contributes to a smooth, non-greasy skin feel.
This ingredient is biodegradable and commonly available in natural/COSMOS-certified grades.
Learn more about Sodium Stearoyl GlutamateTocopherol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
