What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Polymethacrylate
Butylene Glycol
HumectantAlteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer-3
HumectantPalmitoyl Oligopeptide
CleansingPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPEG-8
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingTriethanolamine
BufferingIsopropyl Alcohol
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMethylpropanediol
SolventPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Butylene Glycol, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer-3, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Acacia Senegal Gum, Carbomer, PEG-8, Sodium Lactate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Triethanolamine, Isopropyl Alcohol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methylpropanediol, Phenoxyethanol
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 GlycerinMethylpropanediol is a synthetic solvent and humectant.
As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients, helping to evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product. This ingredient has also been shown to have antimicrobial properties which makes it a preservative booster.
Methylpropanediol is able to add a bit of moisture to the skin. It also helps other ingredients be better absorbed into the skin, such as salicylic acid.
Learn more about MethylpropanediolWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum