What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Coco-Caprylate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
C10-18 Triglycerides
Emollient
Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables
Emollient
Sodium Phytate
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Phosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingMannitol
Humectant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Dehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Ceteth-20
CleansingSteareth-20
CleansingPEG-75 Stearate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
BHT
Antioxidant
BHA
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Propanediol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coco-Caprylate, Cetyl Alcohol, C10-18 Triglycerides, Hydrogenated Ethylhexyl Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Hyaluronic Acid, Retinol, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ectoin, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Unsaponifiables, Sodium Phytate, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Phosphatidylcholine, Mannitol, Cholesterol, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Decyl Glucoside, Ceteth-20, Steareth-20, PEG-75 Stearate, Sodium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, BHT, BHA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBifida Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Disodium EDTA
Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Bambusa Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningThuja Orientalis Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Myristic Acid, Glycerin, Potassium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Coco-Betaine, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Salicylic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Synthetic Beeswax, Disodium EDTA, Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Asiatic Acid, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Madecassoside, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Thuja Orientalis Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 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 GlycerinGlyceryl 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 StearateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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
