What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Ethyl Macadamiate
Skin Conditioning
Isosorbide Dicaprylate
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
Humectant
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
PCA
Humectant
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Lysine
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Threonine
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Matrixyl 3000
Magnesium Chloride
Potassium Chloride
Manganese Chloride
Skin ConditioningAluminum Chloride
AstringentCopper Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Zinc Chloride
AntimicrobialMalic Acid
Buffering
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingSodium Phytate
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Triheptanoin, Dimethicone, Betaine, Ethyl Macadamiate, Isosorbide Dicaprylate, Sodium PCA, Ceramide Ng, PCA, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Lysine, Serine, Alanine, Glycine, Lysine Hcl, Threonine, Arginine, Proline, Glutamic Acid, Gluconolactone, Matrixyl 3000, Magnesium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Manganese Chloride, Aluminum Chloride, Copper Sulfate, Tocopherol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Zinc Chloride, Malic Acid, Calcium Gluconate, Sodium Polyacrylate, Carbomer, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Lactate, Trideceth-6, Sodium Phytate, Lactic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Tapioca Starch
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
PEG-20 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tapioca Starch, Tocopheryl Acetate, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, PEG-20 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
