What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Urea 5%
Buffering
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea
Skin ConditioningC30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emollient
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Viscum Album Fruit Extract
SoothingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingSorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMethyl Caprooyl Tyrosinate
Skin ProtectingBisabolol
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tropolone
Skin ConditioningWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Urea 5%, Caprylyl Methicone, Propanediol, Panthenol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Myristoyl/Palmitoyl Oxostearamide/Arachamide Mea, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cocoglycerides, Viscum Album Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Sorbitan Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Phytosterols, Stearic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Methyl Caprooyl Tyrosinate, Bisabolol, Allantoin, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Tropolone
Water
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPotassium Lactate
BufferingTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Piroctone Olamine
Preservative
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate
CleansingSilver Chloride
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Water, Urea, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Ethylhexyl Stearate, Dimethicone, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Potassium Lactate, Titanium Dioxide, Lactic Acid, Cetyl Dimethicone, Piroctone Olamine, Bisabolol, Diethylhexyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate, Silver Chloride, Propylene Glycol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Bisabolol is a gentle skin conditioner, antioxidant, and soothing ingredient.
It's primary claim to fame is soothing and research shows topically applied bisabolol can quiet the chemical messengers that cause your skin to become inflamed, helping to sooth any irritation.
A clinical study found that applying 0.5% bisabolol daily for 8 weeks produced an average 9% decrease in skin pigmentation. Researchers found it can also suppress the process that leads to excess melanin production in skin.
In vitro studies found that bisabolol combined with propylene glycol significantly increased skin permeability by increasing lipid fluidity in the stratum corneum.
You'll likely see use concentrations quite low, usually 0.1-0.2%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated ingredient that works well in formulas designed for sensitive, reactive, or post-procedure skin.
Learn more about BisabololCetearyl alcohol is a waxy mixture of two fatty alcohols: cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. It is an emollient and emulsifier.
Despite having "alcohol" in its name, it has nothing to do with drying solvent alcohols; the FDA also allows "alcohol-free" products to contain fatty alcohols like this ingredient.
It plays several roles in a formula:
Typical use levels for this ingredient sit around 1-10% and the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has affirmed safety at concentrations up to 25% in leave-on products.
Multiple assessments have found it to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing to most people.
However, there have been some cases of allergic contact dermatitis in patients with chronically compromised skin barriers.
Cetearyl alcohol has a comedogenic rating of 2 and irritancy rating of 1. Both of these numbers come from the 1989 study that used rabbit ears; a "2" means mildly comedogenic and a "1" means low irritancy.
Here's the catch: rabbit skin is more sensitive than human skin and throws a lot of false positives. A 1996 reappraisal found that ingredients rated 1-2 in the rabbit ear tests are generally safe for humans.
Remember comedogenic ratings are unable to assess the entire formula of a product or how it will react on your skin. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure about certain ingredients.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe. Cetearyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol with chain lengths that fall within the range that Malassezia can metabolize.
A 2019 study has also observed Malassezia growth in the presence of this ingredient, confirming it to be not-fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholGlyceryl 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 StearateUrea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Urea is actually one of the more well-studied and well-supported ingredients out there if you have eczema.
Clinical trials have shown that urea creams in the 5 - 10% range can:
Higher concentrations (20 -30%) can also help with thickened, scaly patches but is also more likely to sting on active flares.
Skip urea if you have rosacea. The AAD (American Academy of Dermatology) lists it alongside alcohol, menthol, and fragrance as a potential irritant for rosacea-prone skin. Urea's keratolytic and penetration-enhancing properties can trigger stinging, burning, and redness.
As always, your skin is unique, so definitely check in with your dermatologist.
Learn more about UreaWater. 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
