What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Trehalose
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Lecithin
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Silica
Abrasive
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Methicone, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Niacinamide, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Arginine, Trehalose, Allantoin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cetyl-Pg Hydroxyethyl Palmitamide, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Lecithin, Glyceryl Stearate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Silica, Glyceryl Glucoside, Coco-Glucoside, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Decyl Glucoside, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 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
