What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMethyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentNiacinamide
Smoothing
Artemisia Vulgaris Oil
Perfuming
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyisobutene
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Water, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Niacinamide, Artemisia Vulgaris Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyisobutene, Adenosine, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Glycerin, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Water
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventMethyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyisobutene
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingWater, Methylpropanediol, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Caprylyl Glycol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyisobutene, Xanthan Gum, Sorbitan Oleate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerThis ingredient is a mild surfactant made by sticking glucose onto a blend of fatty acids.
It does two jobs because it has a sugar head that loves water and a fatty tail that loves oil:
Typical use levels range from 10-20% in cleansers and 15-30% in shower products.
Once on your skin, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down into glucose and the parent fatty alcohols.
This ingredient is considered fungal acne safe because its fatty alcohol portion sits outside the Malassezia yeast's metabolization range.
Learn more about Caprylyl/Capryl GlucosideGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylateThis ingredient comes as a powder made up of small, porous, microbeads. It is used to add a silky feel to products and also helps absorb oil.
Pentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPolyisobutene is a synthetic polymer made from isobutene.
It is a film-forming agent and helps bind ingredients together.
Polyisobutene is not absorbed by the skin.
Learn more about PolyisobuteneThis long ingredient is a copolymer of sodium acrylate and sodium acryloyldimethyl taurate monomers.
It is used to help stabilize other ingredients and create a thicker gel-like texture.
Emulsifiers prevent oils and waters from separating.
Learn more about Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate CopolymerWe don't have a description for Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2 yet.
Sorbitan Oleate is a PEG-free emulsifier made by esterifying sorbitol with oleic acid.
You'll likely see it paired with Polysorbate 80 to create the right emulsification balance.
Typical use levels in formulas range from 2-10%.
The CIR Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as a cosmetic ingredient.
Since this ingredient is an ester of oleic acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. Oleic acid is a fatty acid that falls into the C11-24 range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Sorbitan OleateWater. 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
