What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Lactate
BufferingC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
HumectantPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantDimethicone
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantParfum
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativePentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Lactic Acid
BufferingSerine
MaskingSodium Lactate
BufferingSorbitol
HumectantUrea
BufferingLinalool
PerfumingCitronellol
PerfumingSodium Chloride
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
MaskingLimonene
PerfumingCoumarin
PerfumingJuniperus Mexicana Oil
MaskingAlpha-Isomethyl Ionone
PerfumingAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Graveolens Oil
MaskingGeraniol
PerfumingWater, Ammonium Lactate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Dimethicone, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Parfum, Potassium Sorbate, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Milk Protein, Disodium EDTA, Lactic Acid, Serine, Sodium Lactate, Sorbitol, Urea, Linalool, Citronellol, Sodium Chloride, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Limonene, Coumarin, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Alpha-Isomethyl Ionone, Allantoin, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Geraniol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin 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 AllantoinDisodium 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 GlycerinWater. 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