What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingDiglycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingMethylpropanediol
SolventSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningStephania Tetrandra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Cnidium Monnieri Fruit Extract
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningSpirulina Platensis Extract
Skin ProtectingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Diglycerin, Propylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Methylpropanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Glucose, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Cnidium Monnieri Fruit Extract, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Spirulina Platensis Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Chlorphenesin, Hexylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Cholesterol, Ceramide NP
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Silica
Abrasive
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Olive Glycerides
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingWater, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Silica, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Dimethicone, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Centella Asiatica Extract, Triolein, Olive Glycerides, Ceramide NP, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Cucumis Sativus Extract, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCaprylic/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 TriglycerideCeramide NP (formerly known as Ceramide 3) is one of the skin's naturally occurring lipids.
Since ceramides are the major lipid components of the skin, they are crucial for maintaining skin barrier and hydration. Ceramide NP most closely mirrors the dominant kind in human skin amongst ceramide subtypes.
This ceramide works by slotting into gaps within the stratum corneum's lipid matrix to limit trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL) and shield the skin against external irritants.
A study with 312 patients found that using a ceramide-containing routine for 4 weeks reduced the severity of atopic dermatitis by over 61%.
Another clinical study in subjects aged 60 and older found that a ceramide body wash and moisturizer improved skin dryness and itchy skin in 15 days.
Overall, ceramides are considered non-irritating and safety tests have found little to no observable adverse effects from using this ingredient.
Ceramide NP is usually sourced from plants (like soybean or rice bran), or produced synthetically.
Learn more about Ceramide NPGlycerin (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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
