What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingCetyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
EmollientCeteareth-20
CleansingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingSucrose Stearate
EmollientSucrose Distearate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCholesterol
EmollientPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
EmulsifyingDipotassium Phosphate
BufferingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Stearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Beta-Sitosterol, Sucrose Stearate, Sucrose Distearate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cholesterol, Polysorbate 20, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Dipotassium Phosphate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Phenoxyethanol, Phytosphingosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPetrolatum
EmollientDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientPEG-30 Stearate
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
SmoothingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantPantolactone
HumectantDimethiconol
EmollientAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPropylene Glycol
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Benzyl Alcohol
PerfumingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Dicaprylyl Ether, Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, PEG-30 Stearate, Panthenol, Niacinamide, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Pantolactone, Dimethiconol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetyl Alcohol is a fatty alcohol. Fatty Alcohols are most often used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Its main roles are:
Though it has "alcohol" in the name, it is not related to denatured alcohol or ethyl alcohol.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
Learn more about Cetyl AlcoholDimethicone 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 DimethiconeDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 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.
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