What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingIsopropyl Myristate
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientPetrolatum
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientDihydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
HumectantHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Bran
AbrasiveParfum
MaskingGlycol Stearate
EmollientStearamide Amp
Glyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Cetyl Alcohol
EmollientMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
AbsorbentCarbon
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingTapioca Starch
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Methylparaben
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativePropylparaben
PreservativeBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingButylphenyl Methylpropional
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingHexyl Cinnamal
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingWater, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Petrolatum, Dimethicone, Dihydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Avena Sativa Bran, Parfum, Glycol Stearate, Stearamide Amp, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Carbon, Potassium Hydroxide, Tapioca Starch, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Propylparaben, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Urea
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantStearyl Alcohol
EmollientDimethicone
EmollientPetrolatum
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientSteareth-21
CleansingJojoba Esters
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
AntioxidantNiacinamide
SmoothingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningDistearyldimonium Chloride
Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate
Ceramide Ng
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingMethyl Gluceth-20
HumectantBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Propylene Glycol
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCetyl Alcohol
EmollientHydrolyzed Jojoba Esters
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantSilk Amino Acids
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialTribehenin
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingPEG-10 Phytosterol
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingEDTA
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin ConditioningWater, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Petrolatum, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steareth-21, Jojoba Esters, Tocopheryl Acetate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Niacinamide, Panthenol, Distearyldimonium Chloride, Stearamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate, Ceramide Ng, Polysorbate 60, Methyl Gluceth-20, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Hydroxyacetophenone, Silk Amino Acids, Potassium Hydroxide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Tribehenin, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, PEG-10 Phytosterol, Parfum, EDTA, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
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 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 DimethiconeGlycerin (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 StearateParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term.
For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPetrolatum 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 PetrolatumPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxideWater. 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