What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Isododecane
EmollientOctocrylene
UV Absorber
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acrylamide/Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer
Parfum
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolyisobutene
Dimethicone
Emollient
Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citral
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Isododecane, Octocrylene, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Arachidyl Alcohol, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Caprylyl Glycol, Behenyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Cetyl Alcohol, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylamide/Ammonium Acrylate Copolymer, Parfum, Xanthan Gum, Polyisobutene, Dimethicone, Myrciaria Dubia Fruit Extract, Sorbic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Linalool, Limonene, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Potassium Sorbate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Citronellol
Water
Skin ConditioningBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate
Emollient
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentSodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
Emollient3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate
Emulsion Stabilising
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Gellan Gum
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Phytate
Citrus Limon Fruit Oil 0.475%
Astringent
Water, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Niacinamide, Coco-Caprylate, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Glyceryl Stearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Stearate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Glycerin, Sodium Anisate, Sodium Levulinate, Glyceryl Caprylate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Polyglyceryl-6 Behenate, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Gellan Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Phytate, Citrus Limon Fruit Oil 0.475%
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Cetyl 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 StearateWater. 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
