What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientNiacinamide
SmoothingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Horse Fat
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialChondrus Crispus
MaskingGlucose
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingLinoleic Acid
CleansingCeramide 3
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCamellia Japonica Seed Oil
EmollientCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Tuber Aestivum Extract
Skin ProtectingAloe Barbadensis Leaf
MaskingAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialCI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
MaskingWater, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Niacinamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Horse Fat, Butylene Glycol, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Stearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Chondrus Crispus, Glucose, Potassium Hydroxide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Linoleic Acid, Ceramide 3, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Camellia Japonica Seed Oil, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Adenosine, Disodium EDTA, Tuber Aestivum Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf, Alcohol Denat., CI 15985, CI 19140, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCyclomethicone
EmollientHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingTriethylhexanoin
MaskingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingDioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingPhellinus Linteus Extract
Skin ConditioningArctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPiper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantC12-13 Pareth-23
CleansingDivinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
Dimethicone
EmollientSqualane
EmollientC12-16 Alcohols
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingPEG-100 Stearate
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentPalmitic Acid
EmollientHydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientC12-13 Pareth-3
EmulsifyingAcrylates Copolymer
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantBetaine
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-51
Skin ConditioningGlycosyl Trehalose
Emulsion StabilisingIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin ConditioningCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantRaffinose
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingAdenosine
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin ConditioningAgar
MaskingGellan Gum
Calcium Alginate
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Lecithin
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPropylene Glycol
HumectantPanthenol
Skin ConditioningInulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingGold
Cosmetic ColorantVp/Polycarbamyl Polyglycol Ester
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantHydrolyzed Sesame Protein Pg-Propyl Methylsilanediol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPalmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin ConditioningFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningDisodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingAcetyl Tetrapeptide-2
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin ConditioningTromethamine
BufferingAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantParfum
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Cyclomethicone, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triethylhexanoin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Phellinus Linteus Extract, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Piper Methysticum Leaf/Root/Stem Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, C12-13 Pareth-23, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Dimethicone, Squalane, C12-16 Alcohols, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, PEG-100 Stearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Palmitic Acid, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, C12-13 Pareth-3, Acrylates Copolymer, Mica, Titanium Dioxide, Betaine, Alcohol Denat., Polysorbate 60, Polyquaternium-51, Glycosyl Trehalose, Isononyl Isononanoate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Cellulose Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Raffinose, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Stearic Acid, Adenosine, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Agar, Gellan Gum, Calcium Alginate, Disodium EDTA, Lecithin, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Propylene Glycol, Panthenol, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Gold, Vp/Polycarbamyl Polyglycol Ester, Caramel, Hydrolyzed Sesame Protein Pg-Propyl Methylsilanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Folic Acid, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-2, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Tromethamine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77491
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 AdenosineAlcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.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 GlycolThis ingredient is also known as shea butter. It is an effective skin hydrator and emollient.
Emollients help soothe and soften your skin. It does this by creating a protective film on your skin. This barrier helps trap moisture and keeps your skin hydrated. Emollients may be effective at treating dry or itchy skin.
Shea butter is rich in antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight free-radicals, or molecules that may harm the body. It is also full of fatty acids including stearic acid and linoleic acid. These acids help replenish the skin and keep skin moisturized.
While Shea Butter has an SPF rating of about 3-4, it is not a sunscreen replacement.
Shea butter may not be fungal acne safe. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Butyrospermum Parkii ButterThis ingredient is an emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCarbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Cetearyl alcohol is a mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is mainly used as an emulsifier. Emulsifiers help prevent the separation of oils and products. Due to its composition, it can also be used to thicken a product or help create foam.
Cetearyl alcohol is an emollient. Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Studies show Cetearyl alcohol is non-toxic and non-irritating. The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is usually derived from plant oils such as palm, vegetable, or coconut oils. There is debate on whether this ingredient will cause acne.
Due to the fatty acid base, this ingredient may not be Malassezia folliculitis safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz.
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 DimethiconeDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolDisodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinGlyceryl Stearate is a mix of glycerin and stearic acid.
It is used to stabilize the mixing of water and oil ingredients. By preventing these ingredients from separating, it can help elongate shelf life. It can also help thicken the product's texture.
As an emollient, it helps soften skin and supports barrier-replenishing ingredients.
In cosmetics, Glyceryl Stearate is often made from vegetable oils or synthetically produced.
This ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearateHydrogenated Lecithin is created from the hydrogenation of lecithin (a group of phospholipids). Hydrogenation is a chemical reaction between hydrogen and another element.
This ingredient is an emollient and emulsifier. As an emollient, it helps soften skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Niacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamideParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPeg-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.
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Polysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Water. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water