What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantMagnesium Chloride
Malic Acid
Buffering
Arctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cochlearia Armoracia Root Extract
MaskingQuillaja Saponaria Bark Extract
CleansingArnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phytic Acid
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Sulfur
Antiseborrhoeic
Vinegar
Sodium Salicylate
Preservative
Sorbitol
Humectant
Tea-Lactate
HumectantUrea
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Water, Gluconolactone, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Lactic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Magnesium Chloride, Malic Acid, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Cochlearia Armoracia Root Extract, Quillaja Saponaria Bark Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Capsicum Frutescens Fruit Extract, Phytic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Lactate, Allantoin, Serine, Sulfur, Vinegar, Sodium Salicylate, Sorbitol, Tea-Lactate, Urea, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Bisulfite
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethoxydiglycol (aka Diethylene Glycol Monoethyl Ether) is one of the cosmetic world's quiet problem solvers.
In a formula, it is a solvent that dissolves tricky ingredients that don't want to mix in and helps spread ingredients evenly across your skin without leaving a greasy or sticky feeling
This makes it great for hard-to-dissolve actives like vitamin C, benzoyl peroxide, and self-tanner DHA.
It also has mild humectant and penetration enhancer abilities so it can help some actives absorb a little deeper.
The penetration boost is backed by lab research: studies using human skin samples found it improved how well an active dissolves into the upper layer of skin rather than tearing down your skin barrier. Reviews of its mechanism also describe it interacting gently with the lipids and water in your outermost layer of skin.
Just know this penetration-enhancing effect is not universal. It helps a lot in some formulas and did very little in others (so the benefit really depends on the specific product).
Safety-wise, the evidence is reassuring. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel reviewed it and concluded it's safe for use in cosmetics and recognized it as non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-comedogenic in skincare.
Typical leave-on skincare usage lands around 1-10%. The EU has sets caps of 2.6% in non-spray products, 10% in rinse-offs, 7% in oxidative hair dye, and 5% in non-oxidative hair dye.
Learn more about EthoxydiglycolWater. 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
