What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Algae Extract
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Papaver Rhoeas Petal Extract
EmollientPhaseolus Radiatus Extract
Skin ConditioningJuglans Regia Shell Extract
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Sorbitol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Tea-Lactate
HumectantTriethanolamine
BufferingUrea
Buffering
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Algae Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Papaver Rhoeas Petal Extract, Phaseolus Radiatus Extract, Juglans Regia Shell Extract, Panthenol, Lactic Acid, Sodium Lactate, Allantoin, Serine, Sorbitol, Propylene Glycol, Tea-Lactate, Triethanolamine, Urea, Phenylpropanol, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Empetrum Nigrum Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Cupressus Sempervirens Seed Extract
Perfuming
Polygonatum Multiflorum Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPlankton Extract
Skin ConditioningPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Rosmarinyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Caffeyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Gallyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Empetrum Nigrum Fruit Juice, Pentylene Glycol, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Cupressus Sempervirens Seed Extract, Polygonatum Multiflorum Rhizome/Root Extract, Plankton Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Rosmarinyl Glucoside, Caffeyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycolPropylene 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 GlycolSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
