What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate

UV Absorber
0 / 0 UV Protection IconChemical UV Filter IconMay cause irritation IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Cyclopentasiloxane

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Isoamyl Laurate

Emollient
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Dimethicone

Emollient
1 / 0 Silicon IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Octocrylene

UV Absorber
UV Protection IconChemical UV Filter IconMay worsen Eczema IconMay cause irritation IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Isohexadecane

Emollient

Titanium Dioxide

Cosmetic Colorant
0 / 0 UV Protection IconMineral UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Polymethylsilsesquioxane

Silicon Icon

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Cetyl Alcohol

Emollient
2 / 2 Fatty Alcohol IconCoconut Derived IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer

Emulsion Stabilising

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride

Masking
Coconut Derived IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Cetearyl Methicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Hydrated Silica

Abrasive
Exfoliant Icon

Hydrogen Dimethicone

Silicon Icon

Zinc Oxide

Cosmetic Colorant
1 / 0 UV Protection IconMineral UV Filter IconGood for Oily Skin IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Talc

Abrasive
1 / 0 Exfoliant Icon

Glyceryl Stearate

Emollient
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate

Skin Conditioning
Azelaic Acid IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots Icon

Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate

Humectant
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Phenoxyethanol

Preservative
Preservative Icon

Polyacrylate-13

Vinyldimethicone

Silicon Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Houttuynia Cordata Extract

Skin Conditioning
Helps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Algae Extract

Emollient

Panthenol

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Zinc PCA

Humectant
Zinc IconHelps fight Acne IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

PEG-20 Stearate

Emulsifying
1 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

PEG-75 Stearate

Surfactant
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Polyisobutene

Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract

Antimicrobial
Antioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

PEG-9 Dimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Polysorbate 20

Emulsifying
0 / 0 Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract

Astringent
Helps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Geranium Maculatum Extract

Tonic

Citrus Reticulata Peel Extract

Skin Conditioning

Allantoin

Skin Conditioning
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Oryza Sativa Starch

Absorbent

Steareth-2

Emulsifying
2 / 2

Steareth-21

Cleansing

Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract

Astringent
Helps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Ceteth-20

Cleansing

Steareth-20

Cleansing
2 / 1

Phaseolus Radiatus Sprout Extract

Humectant

Tocopheryl Acetate

Antioxidant
0 / 0 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps brighten skin Icon

Aspalathus Linearis Extract

Skin Conditioning

Lecithin

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Tetrasodium EDTA

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Citric Acid

Buffering
AHA IconHelps brighten skin IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

CI 77499

Cosmetic Colorant

CI 77491

Cosmetic Colorant

CI 77492

Cosmetic Colorant

Reviews

3.14
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Great Value 43% Broke Me Out 29% Absorbs Well 29%
4.50
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Absorbs Well 100% Great Value 100% Works Well 100%

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Butylene 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 Glycol
Masking, Skin Conditioning

Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride (aka MCT Oil) is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping to prevent moisture loss.

Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. One perk of this ingredient is that it is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid.

In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.

While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Just patch test if you have concerns.

Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.

This ingredient is treated as the gold standard fungal acne safe oil. Even though it is coconut derived, the problematic lauric acid is stripped out.

This leaves just caprylic (C8) and capric (C10) acid. These chain lengths actually trend antifungal; a 2020 study found caprylic acid was enough to disrupt Malassezia furfur cell membrane, with a caprylic acid derivative damaging membrane structures at concentrations as low as 0.2%.

Learn more about Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Solvent

Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.

Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.

The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics

There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.

Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.

The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.

Learn more about Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Dimethicone 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 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Learn more about Ethylhexylglycerin
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin (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 Glycerin
Skin Conditioning

Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.

There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.

D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.

Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):

Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.

This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.

Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.

This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.

Learn more about Panthenol

Vinyldimethicone is a type of silicone.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 Water

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