What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSebacic Acid
BufferingPotassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pantolactone
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Acetyl Hexapeptide-49
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
10-Hydroxydecanoic Acid
Skin Conditioning1,10-Decanediol
SolventOlive Glycerides
Emulsifying
Triethanolamine
BufferingCyclohexane
SolventButylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Carbomer, Sebacic Acid, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panthenol, Pantolactone, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Allantoin, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Acetyl Hexapeptide-49, Ceramide NP, 10-Hydroxydecanoic Acid, 1,10-Decanediol, Olive Glycerides, Triethanolamine, Cyclohexane, Butylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
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 AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolCarbomer 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 CarbomerCeramide 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 GlycerinPanthenol 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 PanthenolWater. 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
