What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Hypericum Perforatum Extract
AntimicrobialTriticum Vulgare Germ Oil
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phragmites Karka Extract
Skin ConditioningAdansonia Digitata Seed Oil
Emollient
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hypericum Perforatum Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Poria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningAcacia Seyal Gum Extract
HumectantCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Ceteareth-20
CleansingAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetyl Palmitate, Hypericum Perforatum Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Oil, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Phragmites Karka Extract, Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Hypericum Perforatum Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Poria Cocos Extract, Acacia Seyal Gum Extract, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ceteareth-12, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Ceteareth-20, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Glycerin
Humectant
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-100 Stearate
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Isopropyl Myristate, Dimethicone, Cetyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-100 Stearate, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Citric Acid
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 TriglycerideCeteareth-20 is an emulsifier and surfactant made by reacting cetearyl alcohol with 20 moles of ethylene oxide.
This gives it both oil and water-loving properties that makes it an effect emulsifier; it's really great at pulling oil droplets into water to create a stable, creamy, and easy-to-spread base.
Typical use ranges from 0.5-30%. Most leave-on products are in the 1-10% zone.
The 20 ethylene oxide units is well above the PEG-10 threshold and therefore not a food source for Malassezia (it's fungal acne safe).
This ingredient has a comedogenic rating of 2 and an irritancy rating of 3. These numbers come from testing the raw ingredient on rabbit ears and doesn't reflect how it will behave in a finished product.
In practice, this ingredient is a well-tolerated ingredient. The ratings reflect cautious lab conditions and not real-world use. Just be sure to patch test any formulas you feel unsure about.
Learn more about Ceteareth-20Dimethicone 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 DimethiconeEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
