What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sorbitan Stearate
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid
BufferingHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Laurocapram
Skin ConditioningGalla Rhois Gallnut Extract
Antimicrobial
Polyacrylate-13
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Menthol
Masking
Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonol
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyisobutene
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Camphor
Masking
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract
Emollient
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Saposhnikovia Divaricata Root Extract
AntimicrobialPapain
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Albizia Julibrissin Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningGastrodia Elata Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Quaternium-73
Gentiana Scabra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningSophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningRheum Palmatum Root Extract
Astringent
Sarcosine
Skin Conditioning
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientHydroxycinnamic Acid
Skin ConditioningRutin
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningMadecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Water, Propanediol, Niacinamide, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Polysorbate 60, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Sorbitan Stearate, Hydroxyethylpiperazine Ethane Sulfonic Acid, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Panthenol, Cetyl Alcohol, Laurocapram, Galla Rhois Gallnut Extract, Polyacrylate-13, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Menthol, Salvia Miltiorrhiza Root Extract, Paeonol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyisobutene, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20, Camphor, Sorbitan Isostearate, Salicylic Acid, Allantoin, Gluconolactone, Astragalus Membranaceus Root Extract, Sclerotium Gum, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Saposhnikovia Divaricata Root Extract, Papain, Pentylene Glycol, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Albizia Julibrissin Flower Extract, Gastrodia Elata Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Quaternium-73, Gentiana Scabra Root Extract, Capryloyl Glycine, Hexylene Glycol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Rheum Palmatum Root Extract, Sarcosine, Madecassoside, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Asiaticoside, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Hydroxycinnamic Acid, Rutin, Asiatic Acid, Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract, Madecassic Acid, Zinc PCA
Reviews
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 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 GlycolWater. 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
