What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Bifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Fructose
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Squalene
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Beta-Sitosterol
Emulsion Stabilising
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sucrose Distearate
Emollient
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Acetic Acid
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Coco-Caprylate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Jojoba Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Panthenol, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP, Beta-Glucan, Inulin, Fructose, Cholesterol, Lactobacillus Ferment, Squalene, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caryodendron Orinocense Seed Oil, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Beta-Sitosterol, Maltodextrin, Pentylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sucrose Distearate, Polyglycerin-3, Lactic Acid, Acetic Acid, Tocopherol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolyglyceryl-6 Distearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
Emulsifying
C15-19 Alkane
SolventPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Urea, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cyclopentasiloxane, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polyglyceryl-6 Distearate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Jojoba Esters, Niacinamide, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, C15-19 Alkane, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Citric Acid, Lauryl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Tocopherol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetearyl 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 AlcoholEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinJojoba Esters is a wax created from Jojoba oil. It is an emollient and film-forming ingredient. In bead form, it is an exfoliator.
This ingredient has high oxidative stability, meaning it doesn't break down when exposed to oxygen.
Its similarity to our skin's natural oils makes it a great emollient. Emollients help soften and soothe our skin by creating a barrier on top. This barrier helps trap moisture in, keeping skin hydrated.
It is created using either the hydrogenation or transesterification processes on jojoba oil.
Learn more about Jojoba EstersPhenoxyethanol 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.
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 TocopherolWater. 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
