What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Petrolatum
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Abrasive
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Propylparaben
Preservative
Stearamide Amp
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCedrol
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantPetrolatum, Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Glycol Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Isopropyl Myristate, Propylparaben, Stearamide Amp, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Disodium EDTA, Potassium Hydroxide, Cedrol, Tocopheryl Acetate, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Urea
Buffering
Lanolin Alcohol
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seedcake
Abrasive
Propylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Paraffinum Liquidum, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Urea, Lanolin Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 15985, CI 19140, CI 17200
Reviews
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 StearatePetrolatum 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 may not be safe for fungal-acne. Studies show mineral oil / petroleum leads to the growth of M. Furfur, a type of yeast.
However, it’s 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.
Fungal acne isn’t about comedogenic ratings. It’s more about whether certain ingredients can feed the yeast on your skin, which can trigger those breakouts.
Learn more about PetrolatumPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Stearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
