What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract
Antioxidant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantHydrolyzed Prunus Domestica
Skin ConditioningSoy Isoflavones
Skin ConditioningLepidium Sativum Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Biosaccharide Gum-4
Skin Conditioning
Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate
HumectantVibrio Alginolyticus Ferment Filtrate
Abrasive
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Coco-Caprylate, Butylene Glycol, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Lactobacillus/Wasabia Japonica Root Ferment Extract, Mica, Hydrolyzed Prunus Domestica, Soy Isoflavones, Lepidium Sativum Sprout Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Biosaccharide Gum-4, Alteromonas Ferment Filtrate, Vibrio Alginolyticus Ferment Filtrate, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanyl Palmitate, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Lecithin, Glycerin, Tocopherol, Titanium Dioxide, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Polysorbate 80, Alcohol Denat., Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingSqualane
Emollient
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Olivate
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone
BufferingSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientArachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingLinalool
Perfuming
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Dextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingHoney
Humectant
Limonene
Perfuming
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract
Skin ConditioningLilium Candidum Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonatum Odoratum Rhizome Extract
Skin ConditioningMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Arachidic Acid
Cleansing
Glucose
Humectant
Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polyaspartate
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate
CleansingAcetyl Heptapeptide-4
Humectant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAcetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Triethylhexanoin, Squalane, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, 1,2-Hexanediol, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Cetearyl Olivate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Methoxy PEG-114/Polyepsilon Caprolactone, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Arachidyl Alcohol, Behenyl Alcohol, Parfum, Hydrolyzed Ginseng Saponins, Glyceryl Caprylate, Arachidyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 60, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Linalool, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Sodium Chloride, Honey, Limonene, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Rehmannia Glutinosa Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Flower Extract, Paeonia Lactiflora Root Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Polygonatum Odoratum Rhizome Extract, Myristic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Glucose, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Phytosphingosine, Sodium Polyaspartate, Caprylyl Glycol, Tocopherol, Sodium Methyl Stearoyl Taurate, Acetyl Heptapeptide-4, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Sodium Hydroxide, Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Tocopherol 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
