What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningKaolin
Abrasive
Bentonite
Absorbent
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPersea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Cydonia Oblonga Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Epilobium Angustifolium Extract
Skin ConditioningPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantifolia Oil
Cleansing
Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Kaolin, Bentonite, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ceteareth-20, Persea Gratissima Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Charcoal Powder, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Cydonia Oblonga Leaf Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Moringa Oleifera Leaf Extract, Aspalathus Linearis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Backhousia Citriodora Leaf Oil, Citrus Aurantifolia Oil, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Oil, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Coco-Caprylate, Persea Gratissima Oil, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopherol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Lactic Acid, Alcohol Denat., Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum
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 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 StearateThis ingredient is also known as Avocado oil. It's the cold-pressed oil from the flesh of the avocado fruit packed with fatty acids (mostly oleic acid).
The rich fatty acid profile allows it to function as a skin conditioning agent and emollient; it helps soften and smooth skin while reducing water loss.
Preclinical research has found that topical avocado oil increased collagen synthesis and reduced inflammation during wound healing, giving it some skin-repairing credibility.
The unsaponifiable fraction of the oil is also interesting: studies on avocado unsaponifiables showed that it helped skin produce more collagen and other structural compounds that support healing.
The CIR Expert Panel has found this ingredient to be non-irritating in formulations.
It's a great ingredient for dry or compromised skin. Just know it may not be fungal acne safe. This is because the oleic acid content falls within the range that Malassezia can use as a food source.
Learn more about Persea Gratissima OilPhenoxyethanol 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 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
