What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Mimosa Tenuiflora Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingMoringa Oleifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucose
Humectant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantFructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Fructose
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Cetearyl Olivate
Sodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentEclipta Prostrata Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Tromethamine
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Panthenol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Ceramide NP, Mimosa Tenuiflora Leaf Extract, Moringa Oleifera Seed Oil, Beta-Glucan, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Tocopherol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, CI 77891, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Glucose, Mica, Fructooligosaccharides, Fructose, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Sorbitan Olivate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, Tromethamine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2, Hexyl Cinnamal
Reviews
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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPropylene 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 Water
