What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tromethamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium EDTA
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantMethylparaben
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Paraffinum Liquidum, Water, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triethylhexanoin, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Polysorbate 60, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Oryza Sativa Extract, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf Extract, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Stearic Acid, Tromethamine, Carbomer, Adenosine, Trisodium EDTA, Caramel, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientNiacinamide
Smoothing
Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Vinyldimethicone
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantLaminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCoptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Bran Oil
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Methylpropanediol
SolventHydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPhaseolus Vulgaris Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Niacinamide, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, 1,2-Hexanediol, Vinyldimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Methyl Trimethicone, Hydroxyacetophenone, Dipropylene Glycol, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Oryza Sativa Bran Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Fructooligosaccharides, Adenosine, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Beta-Glucan, Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Maltodextrin, Tocopherol, Methylpropanediol, Hydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract, Ceramide NP, Opuntia Coccinellifera Fruit Extract, Phaseolus Vulgaris Seed Extract
Reviews
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 AdenosineButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCetearyl 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 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 Water
