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
Surfactant
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 ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingLevulinic Acid
Perfuming
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningDecylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Alcohol Denat., Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Dicaprylyl Ether, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Maltodextrin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Xanthan Gum, Levulinic Acid, Sodium Levulinate, Decylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, P-Anisic Acid, Sodium Chloride
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a lightweight emollient, solvent, and texture enhancer. It is considered a skin-softener by helping the skin prevent moisture loss.
It helps thicken a product's formula and makes it easier to spread by dissolving clumping compounds.
Caprylic Triglyceride is made by combining glycerin with coconut oil, forming a clear liquid. Though it behaves like an oil, it is not technically one due to its chemical composition. It is very stable, resistant to oxidation, and unlikely to go rancid. In practice, that translates to a long shelf life and a consistently elegant skin feel.
While there is an assumption Caprylic Triglyceride can clog pores due to it being derived from coconut oil, there is no research supporting this. Be sure to patch test if you have concerns.
Fractionated coconut oil and MCT Oil are both listed as Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride according to INCI. This is because INCI names are based on the ingredient’s final chemical composition and not its marketing name or source.
Learn more about Caprylic/Capric TriglycerideGlycerin (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 StearateWater. 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
