What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Thermus Thermophillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningTranexamic Acid
Astringent
Glucosyl Hesperidin
HumectantSilybum Marianum Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Withania Somnifera Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lactoferrin
Skin ConditioningPlankton Extract
Skin ConditioningTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Pancratium Maritimum Extract
BleachingDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningPentasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Acetylhydroxyprolyl Dipeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-11
Skin Conditioning
Hexapeptide-12
Skin Conditioning
Pentasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Dipeptide-51
Skin Conditioning
Diglucosyl Gallic Acid
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Fructose
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Propanediol
Solvent
Lecithin
Emollient
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Mannitol
Humectant
Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSilica
Abrasive
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Squalane, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Thermus Thermophillus Ferment, Tranexamic Acid, Glucosyl Hesperidin, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Withania Somnifera Root Extract, Lactoferrin, Plankton Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Pancratium Maritimum Extract, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Pentasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Acetylhydroxyprolyl Dipeptide-12, Hexapeptide-11, Hexapeptide-12, Pentasodium Tetracarboxymethyl Dipeptide-51, Diglucosyl Gallic Acid, Phospholipids, Fructose, Betaine, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Propanediol, Lecithin, Caprylyl Methicone, Dimethicone, Mannitol, Phosphatidylcholine, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Decyl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Silica, Tin Oxide, CI 77891
Reviews
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
