What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isohexadecane
EmollientSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Betaine
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPEG-100 Stearate
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
PCA
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
MaskingCholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Valine
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propanediol, Glyceryl Stearate, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitan Stearate, Dimethicone, Isohexadecane, Sodium Polyacrylate, Phenoxyethanol, Betaine, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, PEG-100 Stearate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Ceramide NP, Glycine, Alanine, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Serine, Valine, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylparaben
Preservative
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tetrasodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.
Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.
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 is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
It is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.
As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.
In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePeg-100 Stearate is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps keep skin soft by trapping moisture in. On the other hand, emulsifiers help prevent oil and water from separating in a product.
PEGS are a hydrophilic polyether compound . There are 100 ethylene oxide monomers in Peg-100 Stearate. Peg-100 Stearate is polyethylene glycol ester of stearic acid.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Tocopheryl 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
