What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantPropanediol
SolventPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientParfum
MaskingSodium Benzoate
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingDimethyl Phenylethyl Carbinyl Acetate
PerfumingBenzyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialHexamethylindanopyran
MaskingTrimethylbenzenepropanol
MaskingTerpineol
MaskingAcetyl Cedrene
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
MaskingApigenin
AntioxidantAlpha-Damascone
MaskingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialUrtica Dioica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningBiotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum, Sodium Benzoate, Panthenol, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Dimethyl Phenylethyl Carbinyl Acetate, Benzyl Benzoate, Hexamethylindanopyran, Trimethylbenzenepropanol, Terpineol, Acetyl Cedrene, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Apigenin, Alpha-Damascone, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Urtica Dioica Leaf Extract, Oleanolic Acid, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
AntioxidantAcetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin ProtectingCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningCaffeine
Skin ConditioningSodium PCA
HumectantSodium Lactate
BufferingArginine
MaskingHyaluronic Acid
HumectantAspartic Acid
MaskingPCA
HumectantBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicGlycine
BufferingAlanine
MaskingMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingEucalyptus Globulus Oil
Serine
MaskingMenthol
MaskingTocopherol
AntioxidantValine
MaskingProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHistidine
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingCopper Gluconate
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantPhenylpropanol
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Copper Tripeptide-1, Caffeine, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Hyaluronic Acid, Aspartic Acid, PCA, Biotin, Glycine, Alanine, Mentha Piperita Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Oil, Serine, Menthol, Tocopherol, Valine, Proline, Threonine, Isoleucine, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Copper Gluconate, Ascorbic Acid, Phenylpropanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinThis is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractWater. 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