What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Oxidized Glutathione
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ceteareth-20
CleansingLecithin
Emollient
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingZinc Ricinoleate
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Squalane
Emollient
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Phytic Acid
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Melatonin
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tranexamic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Arbutin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Behenate, Kojic Acid, Oxidized Glutathione, Phenoxyethanol, Ceteareth-20, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Zinc Ricinoleate, Arginine Hcl, Azelaic Acid, Squalane, Ceteareth-12, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Palmitate, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Phytic Acid, Allantoin, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Melatonin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventIsodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Octadecenedioic Acid
Emulsifying
Polyacrylate-13
PEG-100 Stearate
Triethanolamine
BufferingArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPhenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyisobutene
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Disodium EDTA
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dextran
Nonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Propanediol, Arachidyl Alcohol, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Sodium Lactate, Behenyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Lactic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Octadecenedioic Acid, Polyacrylate-13, PEG-100 Stearate, Triethanolamine, Arachidyl Glucoside, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Phenoxyethanol, Polyisobutene, Caprylyl Glycol, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Xanthan Gum, Chlorphenesin, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dextran, Nonapeptide-1
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Behenyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol (these are different from the drying, solvent alcohols).
Fatty Alcohols have hydrating properties and are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product. They are usually derived from natural fats and oils; behenyl alcohol is derived from the fats of vegetable oils.
Emollients help keep your skin soft and hydrated by creating a film that traps moisture in.
In 2000, Behenyl Alcohol was approved by the US as medicine to reduce the duration of cold sores.
Learn more about Behenyl AlcoholThis ingredient is a lightweight 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. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. 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. Be sure to 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.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholAccording to a manufacturer, this ingredient is used for skin whitening, freckle removal, and photoprotection.
Glyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
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
