What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCeteth-10 Phosphate
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower
Antioxidant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBeta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Water, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Arbutin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tranexamic Acid, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicetyl Phosphate, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Carbomer, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Water
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
C15-19 Alkane
SolventDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Nopalea Cochenillifera Extract
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingEthoxydiglycol
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Water, Isopropyl Myristate, Urea, C15-19 Alkane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Xylitol, Glucose, Anhydroxylitol, Nopalea Cochenillifera Extract, Glyceryl Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Stearic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Triethanolamine, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Ethoxydiglycol, Disodium EDTA, Tocopherol, Ceramide AP, Lactic Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is created from dehydrating xylitol in acidic conditions. Xylitol is a famous sugar and humectant.
Much like its predecessor, anhydroxylitol is a humectant. Humectants attract and hold water to moisturize the skin.
This ingredient is most commonly found in a popular trio called Aquaxyl. Aquaxyl is made up of anhydroxylitol (24 - 34%), xylitylglucoside (35 - 50%), and xylitol (5 - 15%).
According to a manufacturer, Aquaxyl is known for a 3-D hydration concept and an anti-dehydration shield to reinforce the outer layer of skin.
This ingredient is often derived from plants such as wood and sugarcane.
Learn more about AnhydroxylitolCarbomer 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 AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
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 (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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 WaterXylitol is a humectant and prebiotic. It can help with dry skin.
In studies, xylitol has been shown to improve dry skin. It decreased transepidermal water loss, or when water passes through the skin and evaporates. Xylitol also showed to help improve the biomechanical properties of the skin barrier.
The prebiotic property of xylitol may also help reinforce our skin's natural microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome prevents infection by bad bacteria and helps with hydration.
As a humectant, Xylitol helps draw moisture from both the air and from deeper skin layers. This helps keep skin hydrated.
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and commonly used as a sugar substitute. It is naturally occurring in plants such as strawberries and pumpkin.
Learn more about Xylitol
