What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Propylene Glycol, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Chlorphenesin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Bisulfite, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide 2%
Smoothing
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycolic Acid 0.5%
Buffering
Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract
AntimicrobialMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract 0.3%
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialWater, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Niacinamide 2%, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Glycolic Acid 0.5%, Rosmarinus Officinalis Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract 0.3%, Butylene Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Bisulfite, Tetrasodium EDTA, Biosaccharide Gum-1, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Biosaccharide Gum-1 is a sugar created by fermenting sorbitol (which usually comes from potato starch!). It is known for its soothing and moisturizing properties.
Manufacturer tests show this ingredient helped reduce irritation from lactic acid by almost half and kept skin hydrated long-term as a humectant
Beyond hydration, Biosaccharide Gum-1 gives formulas a silky, non-sticky feel.
This ingredient is gentle, versatile, and suitable for all skin types.
Fun fact: Similar sugars can be found naturally in fruits like apples and pears.
Learn more about Biosaccharide Gum-1Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.
Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.
Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.
Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.
Learn more about ChlorphenesinGlycerin (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 GlycerinNiacinamide is a multitasking form of vitamin B3 that strengthens the skin barrier, reduces pores and dark spots, regulates oil, and improves signs of aging.
And the best part? It's gentle and well-tolerated by most skin types, including sensitive and reactive skin.
You might have heard of "niacin flush", or the reddening of skin that causes itchiness. Niacinamide has not been found to cause this.
In very rare cases, some individuals may not be able to tolerate niacinamide at all or experience an allergic reaction to it.
If you are experiencing flaking, irritation, and dryness with this ingredient, be sure to double check all your products as this ingredient can be found in all categories of skincare.
When incorporating niacinamide into your routine, look out for concentration amounts. Typically, 5% niacinamide provides benefits such as fading dark spots. However, if you have sensitive skin, it is better to begin with a smaller concentration.
When you apply niacinamide to your skin, your body converts it into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NAD is an essential coenzyme that is already found in your cells as "fuel" and powers countless biological processes.
In your skin, NAD helps repair cell damage, produce new healthy cells, support collagen production, strengthen the skin barrier, and fight environmental stressors (like UV and pollution).
Our natural NAD levels start to decline with age, leading to slower skin repair, visible aging, and a weaker skin barrier. By providing your skin niacinamide, you're recharging your skin's NAD levels. This leads to stronger, healthier, and younger looking skin.
Another name for vitamin B3 is nicotinamide. This vitamin is water-soluble and our bodies don't store it. We obtain Vitamin B3 from either food or skincare. Meat, fish, wheat, yeast, and leafy greens contain vitamin B3.
The type of niacinamide used in skincare is synthetically created.
Learn more about NiacinamidePhenoxyethanol 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 GlycolSodium Bisulfite is an antioxidant and is a preservative.
Sodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideTetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
Water. 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
