What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Tridecyl Trimellitate
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Isostearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol Cocoate
Emulsifying
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Mannitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Rhamnose
HumectantLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylcellulose
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Polyethylene, Tridecyl Trimellitate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Isostearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol Cocoate, Fructooligosaccharides, Mannitol, Xylitol, Caffeine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Rhamnose, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylcellulose
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Colloidal Gold
AntimicrobialGlutathione
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Tromethamine
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Isododecane, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Synthetic Beeswax, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Colloidal Gold, Glutathione, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine, Tocopherol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Mica, CI 77891, CI 77491
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
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer is a synthetic polymer. It is used to thicken, emulsify, and improve the texture of products.
As an emulsifier, it helps stabilize oil-in-water emulsions to give products an elegant feel when applied.
It can also form a thin protective film on skin. One study found that a formula using this polymer helped slow down how quickly other ingredients (like DEET) were absorbed through skin.
A 2024 study of over 1,300 patients confirmed that sensitization to this ingredient is rare. It is also non-mutagenic and has a clean track record.
Learn more about Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate CrosspolymerDisodium 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 GlycerinWater. 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
