What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Steareth-20
CleansingSafflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract
Antioxidant
Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ProtectingLeontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Micrococcus Lysate
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingLactose
HumectantGalactoarabinan
Lecithin
Emollient
Schizophyllan
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCellulose
Absorbent
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
CI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantLimonene
Perfuming
Water, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Steareth-20, Safflower Oil/Palm Oil Aminopropanediol Esters, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Arabidopsis Thaliana Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, Micrococcus Lysate, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Lactose, Galactoarabinan, Lecithin, Schizophyllan, Beta-Glucan, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carbomer, Cellulose, Maltodextrin, C14-22 Alcohols, Cetearyl Glucoside, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, CI 77007, Limonene
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Gluconolactone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetyl Alcohol, Cetyl Esters, Sodium Hydroxide, Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Extract, Retinol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetearyl Glucoside, Jojoba Esters, Tocopherol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Squalane, Carbomer, Allyl Methacrylates Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Citric 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.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerCetearyl 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.
Learn more about Cetearyl AlcoholCetearyl Glucoside is a sugar-based emulsifier. It is usually made by combining cetearyl alcohol and glucose.
Belonging to the aklyl polyglucoside (APG) family, Cetearyl Glucoside has a sugar "head" that loves water and a fatty "tail" that loves oil. This means it can shuffle oil and water into a stable and smooth emulsion.
Typical use levels are between 1-5% and this ingredient is considered to be non-irritating by the CIR Expert Panel Review.
Once applied, your skin's glucoside hydrolases breaks it down to the parent fatty alcohol and glucose. This is why this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Cetearyl GlucosideEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
