What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
Emulsifying
Ribes Nigrum Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil
Masking
Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSorbic Acid
Preservative
Citral
Perfuming
Water, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Ribes Nigrum Leaf Extract, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Cymbopogon Citratus Leaf Oil, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Arginine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Xanthan Gum, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Lauryl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sorbic Acid, Citral
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-32
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Lauric Acid
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Lauramide DEA
SurfactantCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingArachidic Acid
Cleansing
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Linalool
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Limonene
Perfuming
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Myristic Acid, PEG-32, Potassium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Lauric Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Lauramide DEA, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Potassium Cocoate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Arachidic Acid, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Linalool, Disodium EDTA, Oleic Acid, Limonene, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid
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 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
