What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Coconut Acid
Cleansing
Polyurethane-35
Saccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingAcer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Morinda Citrifolia Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSalvia Hispanica Seed Extract
EmollientLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xylitol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium EDTA
Sodium Citrate
BufferingMethylpropanediol
SolventPhenylpropanol
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Coconut Acid, Polyurethane-35, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Morinda Citrifolia Leaf Extract, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Xylitol, Citric Acid, Trisodium EDTA, Sodium Citrate, Methylpropanediol, Phenylpropanol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningTetradecane
Perfuming
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPolyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Decyl Isostearate
Emollient
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate
Emulsifying
Magnesium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantDisteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingIsostearic Acid
Cleansing
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMethyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Silica
Abrasive
Trisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Tetradecane, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Propanediol, Decyl Isostearate, Isostearyl Isostearate, Lauroyl Lysine, Sorbitan Sesquiisostearate, Magnesium Stearate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Isostearic Acid, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, Trisodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Mica, CI 77891, Iron Oxides
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 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.
Trisodium EDTA is one of those quietly essential helper ingredients that most people have never heard of. You'll most likely spot it near the end of ingredient lists in almost every category of skincare.
So what does it actually do?
Its main job is chelation; this is a fancy word to say it grabs onto metal ions and neutralizes them. This is because even purified water in cosmetics contains trace amounts of metals that can cause big problems in a formula.
These trace metals can break down actives faster, cause discoloration, promote rancidity in oils, and make preservatives less effective. Trisodium EDTA binds to these metals and takes them out of the equation so your products can stay stable and effective for longer.
There's also an added bonus: by neutralizing the metals ions that bacteria need to thrive, this ingredient also acts as a preservative booster.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetic formulations. It is not considered an irritant, sensitizer, and is barely absorbed through the skin.
Learn more about Trisodium EDTAWater. 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
