What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Butane
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Propane
Parfum
Masking
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Coumarin
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Water, Decyl Glucoside, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Butane, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Stearic Acid, Propane, Parfum, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Microcitrus Australasica Fruit Extract, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Coumarin, Benzyl Salicylate, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Squalane
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cholesterol
Emollient
Calendula Officinalis Flower
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol, Water, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Lactic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Squalane, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ceramide NP, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cholesterol, Calendula Officinalis Flower, Phytosphingosine, Oleic Acid, Stearic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Reviews
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 an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidTocopherol 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
