What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPropylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysilicone-11
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Lysine
Skin ConditioningC12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Mannitol
Humectant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Xylitol
Humectant
Andrographis Paniculata Leaf Extract
AstringentRhamnose
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Cetyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, C14-22 Alcohols, Pentylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysilicone-11, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Butylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Lysine, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Azelaic Acid, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Mannitol, Salicylic Acid, Xylitol, Andrographis Paniculata Leaf Extract, Rhamnose, Sodium Hydroxide, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Fructooligosaccharides, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-13 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientHydrogenated Coconut Acid
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingMagnesium Sulfate
Manganese Sulfate
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Aluminum Silicate
Abrasive
Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Reseda Luteola Extract
Skin ConditioningArctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Carum Petroselinum Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIsohexadecane
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Methylpropanediol
SolventO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Hexamidine Diisethionate
Emollient
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Water, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Propanediol, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, C12-13 Alkyl Lactate, Hydrogenated Coconut Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Kojic Acid, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Magnesium Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Lactic Acid, Aluminum Silicate, Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate, Niacinamide, Reseda Luteola Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Carum Petroselinum Extract, Tocopherol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Isohexadecane, Disodium EDTA, Methylpropanediol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Hexamidine Diisethionate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Polysorbate 80, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Oleate
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene 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
