What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantJojoba Esters
Emollient
Polyurethane-9
Propanediol
Solvent
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantCetearyl Olivate
Kaolin
Abrasive
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Charcoal Powder
Abrasive
Copernicia Cerifera Wax
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Rayon
Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
Glycerin
Humectant
Pisum Sativum Peptide
Skin Conditioning
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Myristoyl Glutamate
CleansingHydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventArginine
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientTocopherol
Antioxidant
Silica
Abrasive
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, CI 77499, Jojoba Esters, Polyurethane-9, Propanediol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Cetearyl Olivate, Kaolin, Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Olivate, Charcoal Powder, Copernicia Cerifera Wax, Pentylene Glycol, Rayon, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Stearyl Esters, Glycerin, Pisum Sativum Peptide, Phenylpropanol, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Myristoyl Glutamate, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Gluconate, Methylpropanediol, Arginine, Sodium Hydroxide, Aluminum Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Silica, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningCopernicia Cerifera Cera
Emollient
Tribehenin
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Vp/Eicosene Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid/Glycerin Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cellulose
Absorbent
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Aminomethyl Propanediol
BufferingVp/Hexadecene Copolymer
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Iron Oxides
Water, Copernicia Cerifera Cera, Tribehenin, Glyceryl Stearate, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Pvp, Stearic Acid, Vp/Eicosene Copolymer, Glycerin, Myristic Acid, Trimethylpentanediol/Adipic Acid/Glycerin Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Panthenol, Cellulose, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Aminomethyl Propanediol, Vp/Hexadecene Copolymer, Hexylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Iron Oxides
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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 StearateTocopherol 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
