What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%
UV Absorber
Homosalate 7%
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7%
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.5%
UV Absorber
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene
Skin Conditioning
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Dextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Glycerin
Humectant
Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyaspartate
Humectant7-Dehydrocholesterol
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Acrylates Copolymer
Sorbitol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate
Emulsifying
Sucrose
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
PPG-8-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingSorbeth-30 Tetraisostearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate
Emulsifying
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantDehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingAcrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane 3%, Homosalate 7%, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate 7%, Ethylhexyl Salicylate 4.5%, Water, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Methoxycrylene, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Dextrin Palmitate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Glycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Sodium Polyaspartate, 7-Dehydrocholesterol, Caprylyl Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, Sorbitol, Dimethicone, Polyglyceryl-2 Stearate, Sucrose, Saccharide Isomerate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, PPG-8-Ceteth-20, Sorbeth-30 Tetraisostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Potassium Hydroxide, Carbomer, Dipropylene Glycol, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Hexylene Glycol, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopheryl Acetate, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 14700
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, 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 StearatePolyglyceryl-2 Stearate isn't fungal acne safe.
Stearyl Alcohol is a type of fatty alcohol from stearic acid. It is a white, waxy compound used to emulsify ingredients used as an emollient or to thicken a product.
Emollients help soothe and hydrate the skin by trapping moisture.
Fatty alcohols are usually derived from natural fats and oils and therefore do not have the same drying or irritating effect as solvent (ethanol) alcohols.
The FDA allows products labeled "alcohol-free" to have fatty alcohols.
This ingredient may not be fungal acne safe. It is a primary fatty alcohol with a chain length above 12 carbons. A study from 2019 show Malassezia can feed on fatty alcohols in this range, so it may trigger fungal acne in those prone to it.
Learn more about Stearyl AlcoholWater. 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
