What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isopentyldiol
Humectant
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Epilobium Fleischeri Extract
Skin ConditioningAgave Tequilana Leaf Extract
AstringentBarosma Betulina Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Silica
Abrasive
Isoceteth-10
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Propanediol, Dimethicone, Isopentyldiol, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Epilobium Fleischeri Extract, Agave Tequilana Leaf Extract, Barosma Betulina Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Silica, Isoceteth-10, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates Copolymer
Tromethamine
BufferingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Silica, Glycerin, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Acrylates Copolymer, Tromethamine, Niacinamide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Adenosine, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneSilica, also known as silicon dioxide, is a naturally occurring mineral. It is used as a fine, spherical, and porous powder in cosmetics.
Though it has exfoliant properties, the function of silica varies depending on the product.
The unique structure of silica enhances the spreadability and adds smoothness, making it a great texture enhancer.
It is also used as an active carrier, emulsifier, and mattifier due to its ability to absorb excess oil.
In some products, tiny microneedles called spicules are made from silica or hydrolyzed sponge. When you rub them in, they lightly polish away dead skin layers and enhance the penetration of active ingredients.
Learn more about SilicaWater. 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
