What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Olivate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Geraniol
Perfuming
Vegetable Amino Acids
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Arginine, Glyceryl Stearate, Carbomer, Polysorbate 60, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cetearyl Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Sorbitan Olivate, Chlorphenesin, Stearic Acid, Allantoin, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Benzyl Salicylate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Geraniol, Vegetable Amino Acids, Proline, Hydroxyproline
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Horse Fat
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Microcrystalline Wax
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Polyacrylamide
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingSorbitan Dioleate
EmulsifyingCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Cordyceps Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Syringa Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCollybia Mushroom Extract
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Sodium Edtmp
Hc Yellow No. 4
Water, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Horse Fat, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 60, Cetearyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Beeswax, Microcrystalline Wax, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Polyacrylamide, Laureth-7, Sorbitan Dioleate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Cordyceps Sinensis Extract, Syringa Vulgaris Extract, Collybia Mushroom Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Adenosine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cellulose Gum, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Sodium Edtmp, Hc Yellow No. 4
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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 StearateGlyceryl Stearate Se is a self-emulsifying (SE) form of glyceryl stearate. Self-emusifying means this ingredient automatically blends with water. It is an emulsifier, emollient, and cleansing agent.
As an emulsifier, Glyceryl Stearate Se prevents ingredients such as oil and water from separating. It is also a surfactant, meaning it helps cleanse the skin. Surfactants help gather oil, dirt, and other pollutants so they may be rinsed away easily.
Emollients help your skin stay smooth and soft. It does so by creating a film on top of the skin that helps trap moisture in.
Learn more about Glyceryl Stearate SePhenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Stearic 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 AcidWater. 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
