What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingRubus Idaeus Seed Oil
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone
Perfuming
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Esters, Myristyl Myristate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Rubus Idaeus Seed Oil, Parfum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Alcohol, Geraniol, Linalool, Limonene, Hydroxycitronellal, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, CI 14700, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate
EmollientPropylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Myreth-3 Myristate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycine
Buffering
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
PEG-32
HumectantPEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingPentyl Rhamnoside
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetracaprylate/Tetracaprate, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glyceryl Stearate, Myreth-3 Myristate, PEG-100 Stearate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Benzoic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Glycine, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Oenothera Biennis Oil, PEG-32, PEG-400, Pentyl Rhamnoside, Sodium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl 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 GlycolCarbomer 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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 StearateIsopropyl Palmitate is a lightweight emollient made by combining isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
It is an emollient that leaves skin feeling smooth and silky without leaving a greasy feel.
Typical usage concentrations range from 1-5%.
Human testing shows it's non-irritating and non-sensitizing, and the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has cleared it at very high levels (79% in leave-on products).
The one thing worth knowing about its comedogenic score of 3-4 is to keep it in perspective: these ratings come from old rabbit-ear tests using 100% of pure ingredient and doesn't reflect how it behaves at low levels in a finished product.
Because it is an ester of palmitic acid (C16), it falls into the range that the Malassezia yeast can feed on and is considered not fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Isopropyl PalmitatePeg-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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopheryl 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
