What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantPolyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate
EmulsifyingZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentCoco-Caprylate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientBeta-Sitosterol
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
EmollientSqualene
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantWater, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-3 Dicitrate/Stearate, Zea Mays Starch, Coco-Caprylate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glyceryl Caprylate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Beta-Sitosterol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetyl Alcohol, Squalene, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventButylene Glycol
HumectantCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningDiglycerin
HumectantVinyldimethicone
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientTrehalose
HumectantCetyl Palmitate
EmollientSorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Palmitate
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientHydrogenated Rice Bran Oil
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Distearate
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
EmollientHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Phytate
Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Soymilk
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
AbsorbentTocopherol
AntioxidantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Diglycerin, Vinyldimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Trehalose, Cetyl Palmitate, Sorbitan Olivate, Sorbitan Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Rice Bran Oil, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Tromethamine, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Phytate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Disodium EDTA, Soymilk, Oryza Sativa Extract, Tocopherol, Ceramide NP, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cetyl 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 AlcoholGlycerin (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 GlycerinTocopherol 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