What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingPropylparaben
Preservative
Stearamide Amp
Disodium EDTA
Hydroxystearic Acid
Cleansing
Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glycol Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glyceryl Stearate, Petrolatum, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine, Propylparaben, Stearamide Amp, Disodium EDTA, Hydroxystearic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
C15-19 Alkane
SolventGlyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Petrolatum
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Pearl
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate
Cleansing
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPantolactone
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, C15-19 Alkane, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Petrolatum, Panthenol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Hydrolyzed Pearl, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Sodium Cetearyl Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pantolactone, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 StearateIsopropyl Palmitate is a lightweight emollient made by combining isopropyl alcohol and palmitic acid.
It is an emollient that leaves skin feeling smooth and silky without leaving a greasy feel.
Typical usage concentrations range from 1-5%.
Human testing shows it's non-irritating and non-sensitizing, and the EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) has cleared it at very high levels (79% in leave-on products).
The one thing worth knowing about its comedogenic score of 3-4 is to keep it in perspective: these ratings come from old rabbit-ear tests using 100% of pure ingredient and doesn't reflect how it behaves at low levels in a finished product.
Because it is an ester of palmitic acid (C16), it falls into the range that the Malassezia yeast can feed on and is considered not fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Isopropyl PalmitatePetrolatum is more commonly known as petroleum jelly. It is created by mixing waxes and mineral oils.
This ingredient is effective at reducing water loss by 99%. This is because it is an occlusive. Occlusives create a hydrophobic barrier on the skin to prevent evaporation. This property makes it great for hydrating dry skin.
Pro tip: Use occlusives, such as this ingredient, on damp skin for the best results.
The quality or origin of petrolatum is only known when disclosed by the brand. Most cosmetic petrolatum has gone through several purification stages.
Another benefit of occlusives is it protects your skin against infection or allergies.
Petrolatum is fungal acne safe. It is a hydrocarbon with no fatty acid structure, so Malassezia cannot metabolize it. In-vitro studies support negligible growth stimulation as well.
It's also worth noting that petrolatum has a comedogenic rating of 0. In updated rabbit ear testing (and in human testing), petrolatum was found to be not comedogenic. This means it didn’t promote comedone formation in standard models.
Learn more about PetrolatumPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
