What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Isononanoate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
AstringentChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Trideceth-6
EmulsifyingWater, Squalane, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Isononanoate, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cetyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Palmitic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Polyacrylate, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Myristic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Trideceth-6
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emulsifying
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylamide
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningC13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Vigna Aconitifolia Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingBHT
Antioxidant
Magnesium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Alcohol Denat., Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Polysorbate 20, Propanediol, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Polyacrylamide, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Propylene Glycol, Caffeine, Vigna Aconitifolia Seed Extract, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, BHT, Magnesium Gluconate, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, T-Butyl Alcohol, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
