What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Thiocyanate
StabilisingLactoferrin
Skin ConditioningLactoperoxidase
StabilisingGlucose Oxidase
StabilisingGlucose Pentaacetate
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingRubus Idaeus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningRibes Nigrum Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract
CleansingSodium Palmitoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningNymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantPropanediol
Solvent
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
PCA
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGalactosyl Salicylate
AntiseborrhoeicEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Beta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Lactate
BufferingLactic Acid
Buffering
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Ceteareth-25
CleansingCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenic Acid
Cleansing
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Eos
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Sphingosine
Skin ConditioningWater, Panthenol, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Saccharide Isomerate, Salicylic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Thiocyanate, Lactoferrin, Lactoperoxidase, Glucose Oxidase, Glucose Pentaacetate, Potassium Phosphate, Disodium Phosphate, Rubus Idaeus Leaf Extract, Ribes Nigrum Leaf Extract, Sorbic Acid, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Sanguisorba Officinalis Root Extract, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Propanediol, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Myristyl Alcohol, PCA, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Galactosyl Salicylate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Fructooligosaccharides, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Potassium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Zinc PCA, Ceteareth-25, Cetyl Alcohol, Behenic Acid, Cholesterol, Ceramide NP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide Eos, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide AP, Caprooyl Phytosphingosine, Caprooyl Sphingosine
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
