What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentGlucose
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Panax Ginseng Berry Extract
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Panax Ginseng Root Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Niacinamide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Water, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glyceryl Glucoside, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Allantoin, Adenosine, Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Dextrin, Glucose, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Berry Extract, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Water
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningMorus Alba Root Extract
BleachingBrassica Oleracea Italica Extract
AstringentBrassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract
Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Argyi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Graveolens Extract
Masking
Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPortulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Centella Asiatica Leaf Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Panax Ginseng Root Water, Butylene Glycol, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Zinc PCA, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Zinc Gluconate, Panax Ginseng Leaf/Stem Extract, Morus Alba Root Extract, Brassica Oleracea Italica Extract, Brassica Oleracea Capitata Leaf Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Panax Ginseng Callus Culture Extract, Artemisia Argyi Leaf Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Chrysanthellum Indicum Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Madecassoside, Asiaticoside, Madecassic Acid, Asiatic Acid, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Disodium EDTA
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolDisodium 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 EDTAHydroxyacetophenone 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 HydroxyacetophenoneThis ingredient comes from the callus cells of ginseng.
Ginseng is rich in antioxidants, favonoids, and vitamins B12 and D.
Learn more about the benefits of ginseng.
Learn more about Panax Ginseng Callus Culture ExtractPanax Ginseng Root Water is created by distilling ginseng, popular herb from Asia.
According to a manufacturer, this ingredient has antioxidant and skin brightening properties.
Read more about the benefits of Panax Ginseng Root Extract.
Learn more about Panax Ginseng Root WaterThis ingredient is extracted from the seeds of the cocoa tree.
Cacao seeds contain antioxidants known as polyphenols. These include flavonoids, procyanidins, and epicatechins.
Studies show these polyphenols help improve skin health.
The more famous ingredient from cocoa tree is cocoa butter.
Learn more about Theobroma Cacao Extract
