What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Rhamnose
HumectantPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Petrolatum
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Cera Alba
Emollient
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Poloxamer 338
EmulsifyingSorbitan Tristearate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDimethiconol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Rhamnose, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cetyl Alcohol, Zea Mays Starch, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Petrolatum, Glyceryl Stearate, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, PEG-40 Stearate, Cera Alba, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Adenosine, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Triethanolamine, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Poloxamer 338, Sorbitan Tristearate, Xanthan Gum, Dimethiconol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cichorium Intybus Root Extract
MaskingHelianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Candida Saitoana Extract
Skin ProtectingAcetyl Tetrapeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Mannitol
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingArachidyl Propionate
EmollientEthyl Linoleate
Emollient
Ethyl Linolenate
Emollient
Ethyl Oleate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Distearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Oleate Citrate
Emulsifying
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingSorbic Acid
Preservative
PEG-100 Stearate
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingWater, Octyldodecanol, Glycerin, Cocoglycerides, Butylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Cichorium Intybus Root Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Candida Saitoana Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-9, Mannitol, Lecithin, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Arachidyl Propionate, Ethyl Linoleate, Ethyl Linolenate, Ethyl Oleate, Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides, Sodium Polyacrylate, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, Pentaerythrityl Distearate, Glyceryl Oleate Citrate, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sorbitan Laurate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Sorbic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, 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.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone 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 DimethiconeDimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
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 StearatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
