What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Copernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingRicinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLaureth-21
CleansingTocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Acrylates/Ethylhexyl Acrylate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate, Alcohol, Glycerin, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Stearic Acid, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pvp, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Laureth-21, Tocopherol, CI 77499
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Glycerin
Humectant
Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingShorea Robusta Resin
TonicRhus Verniciflua Peel Wax
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Glyceryl Undecylenate
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, C10-18 Triglycerides, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Glycerin, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Caprylate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Shorea Robusta Resin, Rhus Verniciflua Peel Wax, Xanthan Gum, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Potassium Sorbate, Glyceryl Undecylenate, Tocopherol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Aminomethyl Propanol is used to adjust the pH of products. It is also used as a base to create other organic compounds. Having a balanced pH is important for protecting your skin.
Aminomethyl propanol is safe to use in cosmetics up to 1%. It is soluble in water.
Glycerin (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 StearateStearic 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 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
