What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ubiquinone 5%
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-26
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Coptis Chinensis Root Extract
Antioxidant
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Boswellia Serrata Gum
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Citral
Perfuming
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Pinus Palustris Oil
Masking
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningCitrus Nobilis Oil
Masking
Water, Glycereth-26, Niacinamide, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Alcohol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Sodium Carbomer, Allantoin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Coptis Chinensis Root Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Disodium EDTA, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Boswellia Serrata Gum, Limonene, Beta-Glucan, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Citral, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Pinus Palustris Oil, Ceramide NP, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Citrus Nobilis Oil
Reviews
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 also called ethanol or ethyl alcohol. It is denatured, meaning made undrinkable for cosmetic use.
In formulas, it:
Is it bad for your skin?
The answer comes down to concentration. Patch and wash studies have found highly concentrated alcohol-based hand rubs (60-100%) cause less barrier disruption than washing with a basic detergent like SLS. The only measurable effect in these studies was a temporary dip in skin hydration.
Concentrations below 12-15% in leave-on cosmetics is generally well-tolerated. Concentrations above start to see increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and reduced hydration.
In concentrations about 58%, it creates temporary channels in your skin's lipid layers to become more permeable and allow other ingredients to slip through easily.
This ingredient can be up to 80% of the formula in alcohol-based perfumes.
Overall, this ingredient is probably harmless if found lower down an ingredients list but worth side-eyeing if it's high up (especially if your barrier is already struggling).
Alcohol can worsen dry skin, eczema, and oily skin, especially at higher concentrations. This is because it can increase transepidermal water loss and decrease hydration to disrupt the skin barrier.
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
True allergic contact dermatitis to ethanol is uncommon, but be sure to patch test if you have dry or sensitive skin.
Learn more about AlcoholAllantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydrogenated Lecithin is a more stable version of lecithin.
It's made by taking lecithin (a phospholipid commonly found in soybeans and egg yolks) and hydrogenating it. This just means the unsaturated fatty acids are turned into saturated ones so they don't go bad as easily.
This ingredient is an emollient, emulsifier, and penetration enhancer. As an emollient, it helps soften and hydrate skin by trapping moisture within. As an emulsifier, it prevents oil and water ingredients from separating.
Hydrogenated Lecithin can form tiny spherical structures made of phospholipid bilayers called liposomes. These liposomes are able to capture compounds inside their structure and deliver them through the skin barrier.
Because phospholipids are a natural component of our cell membranes, this ingredient is inherently compatible with skin.
A 2021 study found lecithin-based surfactants were less harsh and more tolerable comared to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).
Learn more about Hydrogenated LecithinSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
