What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Canola Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Shea Butter Ethyl Esters
Emollient
Tripelargonin
EmollientOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Octyldodecanol, Canola Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cetyl Alcohol, Shea Butter Ethyl Esters, Tripelargonin, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Benzoate, Carbomer, Parfum, Citral, Limonene, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningOctyldodecanol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningOleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-20 Stearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Methylparaben
Preservative
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Octyldodecanol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Oleanolic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, PEG-20 Stearate, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Retinyl Palmitate, Hydroxyacetophenone, Methylparaben, CI 42090
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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is antioxidant with skin conditioning and soothing properties. It also boosts the efficiency of preservatives.
Though naturally occuring in Norwegian spruce needles, this ingredient is usually synthetically created.
This ingredient is not irritating or sensitizing. Recent research also suggests it may have skin-brightening effects through tyrosinase inhibition.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneOctyldodecanol is a fatty alcohol sourced from plant oils like coconut or palm (or made synthetically).
It is:
You'll likely see this in many BHA products because this is the go-to solvent for salicylic acid.
This ingredient is typically used at levels between 2-20%.
Regarding fungal acne:
In 2019, this ingredient was tested against multiple Malassezia species (the yeast that causes fungal acne) and showed no growth.
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
