What's inside

What's inside

Key Ingredients

Benefits

Concerns

Ingredients Side-by-side

Show highlights for:

Water

Skin Conditioning

Zinc Oxide

Cosmetic Colorant
1 / 0 UV Protection IconMineral UV Filter IconGood for Oily Skin IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

Caprylyl Methicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Butyloctyl Salicylate

Skin Conditioning
Non-Reef-Safe Icon

C9-12 Alkane

Solvent

Dipropylene Glycol

Humectant

Propylheptyl Caprylate

Emollient

Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Niacinamide

Smoothing
Niacinamide IconHelps fight Acne IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Methyl Trimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Dicaprylyl Ether

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Titanium Dioxide

Cosmetic Colorant
0 / 0 UV Protection IconMineral UV Filter IconNon-Reef-Safe Icon

C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate

Antimicrobial

Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer

Good for Oily Skin Icon

Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer

Silicon IconGood for Oily Skin Icon

Disteardimonium Hectorite

Stabilising

Magnesium Sulfate

Triethoxycaprylylsilane

Silicon Icon

Sodium Potassium Aluminum Silicate

1,2-Hexanediol

Skin Conditioning
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate

Skin Conditioning
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Lauryl Polyglyceryl-3 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

Octyldodecanol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Silica

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconGood for Oily Skin IconGood for Minimizing Pores Icon

Polyhydroxystearic Acid

Emulsifying
Not safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Dimethiconol

Emollient
Silicon Icon

Trisiloxane

Skin Conditioning
Silicon Icon

CI 77492

Cosmetic Colorant

Dibutyl Adipate

Emollient

Poly C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate

Emulsion Stabilising

Caprylyl Glycol

Emollient
Fatty Alcohol Icon

Glyceryl Caprylate

Emollient

Neopentyl Glycol Diethylhexanoate

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin Icon

Ethylhexylglycerin

Skin Conditioning

Aluminum Hydroxide

Emollient

CI 77491

Cosmetic Colorant

Adenosine

Skin Conditioning
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation IconGood for Scar Healing Icon

Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil

Skin Conditioning
Oil IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Polymethyl Methacrylate

Good for Oily Skin Icon

Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil Unsaponifiables

Emollient
Oil IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

CI 77499

Cosmetic Colorant

Tocopherol

Antioxidant
0-3 / 0-3 Vitamin E IconAntioxidant IconHelps with Anti-Aging IconHelps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps brighten skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Dark Spots IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract

Skin Conditioning

Centella Asiatica Extract

Cleansing
Helps with Anti-Aging IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Skin Texture IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Sea Salt

Abrasive
Exfoliant IconMay worsen Rosacea Icon

Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate

Humectant
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce Skin Redness IconGood for Barrier Repair IconNot safe for Fungal Acne Icon

Propanediol

Solvent
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Glycerin

Humectant
0 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Scar Healing IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract

Emollient
Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconHelps reduce irritation IconHelps reduce Skin Redness Icon

Butylene Glycol

Humectant
1 / 0 Helps hydrate Dry Skin IconGood for Barrier Repair Icon

Bombax Malabaricum Flower Extract

Humectant

Reviews

3.41
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Great Value 44% Drying 38% No Scent 31%
2.50
Overall rating
5
4
3
2
1
What people say
Drying 50% Heavy 50% Irritating 50%

Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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 
Humectant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

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 Glycol
Humectant, Masking, Solvent

Dipropylene 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 Glycol
Skin Conditioning

Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:

The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.

Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.

Learn more about Ethylhexylglycerin
Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting

Glycerin (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 Glycerin
Antioxidant, Masking, Skin Conditioning

Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.

You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.

Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.

It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.

This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.

This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.

In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.

Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.

Learn more about Tocopherol
Skin Conditioning, Solvent

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

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