What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Benzoxiquine 5%
AntimicrobialResorcinol 2%
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Cholecalciferol
Lanolin Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingIsopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Isopropyl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Triethanolamine
BufferingTrisodium Hedta
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Benzoxiquine 5%, Resorcinol 2%, Water, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Isopropyl Palmitate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Zea Mays Oil, Cholecalciferol, Lanolin Alcohol, Parfum, Methylparaben, Carbomer, Isopropyl Myristate, Isopropyl Stearate, Sodium Sulfite, Triethanolamine, Trisodium Hedta, Maltodextrin
Hydrocortisone 1%
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Aluminum Sulfate
Astringent
Calcium Acetate
MaskingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cholecalciferol
Dextrin
AbsorbentGlycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Methylparaben
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylparaben
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
Cleansing
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Palau White Clay
HumectantZea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Hydrocortisone 1%, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Aluminum Sulfate, Calcium Acetate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Cholecalciferol, Dextrin, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Maltodextrin, Methylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Propylparaben, Water, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Tocopherol, Petrolatum, Palau White Clay, Zea Mays Oil
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 AlcoholIsopropyl Palmitate is a texture enhancer and emollient. It is an ester of isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
Palmitates are emollients. Emollients help keep your skin soft and smooth by creating a barrier that traps moisture in.
When added to cosmetics, Isopropyl Palmitate creates a silky texture and improves spreadability.
Isopropyl Palmitate may not be fungal acne safe. It can worsen acne prone skin.
Learn more about Isopropyl PalmitateMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenParaffinum Liquidum is a highly-refined cosmetic-grade mineral oil. It is also known as liquid paraffin.
Despite its controversial reputation, the science is pretty clear: it's one of the most well-studied and effective moisturizing ingredients out there.
As an occlusive, it forms a protective layer on the skin that locks in moisture and prevents transepidermal water loss (TEWL). This makes it especially great for compromised skin barriers.
The "it clogs your pores" myth has been around for decades; a study found that industrial-grade mineral oil may be comedogenic but cosmetic-grade mineral oil is not (these two are very, very different).
A 2017 review concluded that cosmetic use of mineral oils and waxes does not present a risk to consumers due to absorption.
Mineral oil got a bad rap from the old rabbit ear studies. When tested on actual human skin, cosmetic-grade mineral oil showed no comedogenic activity. The rating of 0 is a correction of outdated science.
Mineral oil is an inert substance with no fatty acids so there's nothing to feed Malassezia. This ingredient is fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Paraffinum LiquidumRetinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.
This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.
First, Retinyl palmitate is created from palmitic acid and retinol. It is a retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.
This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA retinoic acid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen.
Due to this long and ineffective conversion line, the benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated.
Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:
Dermatologists say this ingredient is ineffective because it isn't used in high enough concentrations in cosmetics.
This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.
The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.
While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UV-A, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is safe to use when used correctly.
All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.
Currently, this ingredient is still allowed in cosmetics all over the world. In Canada, cosmetics must have a warning label stating the product to contain Retinyl Palmitate
Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.
Learn more about Retinyl PalmitateWater. 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 WaterZea Mays Oil is refined oil. It is created from the process of wet milling corn, or zea mays. Zea Mays Oil is fragrance ingredient, hair conditioning agent, occlusive skin conditioning agent, surfactant, and emulsifying agent.
It is composed of several fatty acids, including myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic, and linoleic.
Cholecalciferol is also known as vitamin D3. It has skin conditioning properties.
