What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantBetaine
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Squalene
Emollient
Diethoxyethyl Succinate
SolventPolyglyceryl-10 Stearate
Skin Conditioning
Sucrose Stearate
EmollientPolymethyl Methacrylate
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Tromethamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPropanediol
Solvent
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Betaine, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Alcohol Denat., Squalene, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, Polyglyceryl-10 Stearate, Sucrose Stearate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Phytosterols, Caprylyl Methicone, Carbomer, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Propanediol, Cellulose Gum, Disodium EDTA, Madecassoside, Beta-Glucan, Tocopherol
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-8
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate
HumectantCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Betula Alba Leaf Extract
AstringentPhytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Aviculare Extract
EmollientMagnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAnhydroxylitol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Methylparaben
Preservative
Triethanolamine
BufferingPanthenol, Water, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG-8, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Dimethylsilanol Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Flower Water, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Betula Alba Leaf Extract, Phytosterols, Polygonum Aviculare Extract, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Anhydroxylitol, Polyglyceryl-4 Oleate, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Methylparaben, Triethanolamine
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Butylene 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 GlycolCarbomer 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 CarbomerDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinWe don't have a description for Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine yet.
Phytosterols are plant-derived sterols (you can think of them as the plant world's version of cholesterol). In cosmetics, this ingredient is usually sourced from soybean, rice bran, shea, sunflower, and other seed oils.
The main actors in this group are β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol (the CIR covers 27 phytosterols).
They work by fitting perfectly into your stratum corneum's lipid matrix since they're structurally similar to cholesterol. Here, they reinforce your skin's barrier.
One small in vivo human study showed topical soybean phytosterols sped up barrier recovery within three days on tape-stripped skin.
Broader research credits them with:
Formulation use typically sit under 5%.
Testing in soy-allergic subjects found no sensitization signals, but be sure to patch test if you are unsure or have existing allergies.
Learn more about PhytosterolsWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
