What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Loess Extract
Skin ConditioningCollagen Extract
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract
Antioxidant
Eragrostis Tef Seed Extract
EmollientRice Amino Acids
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLoess Extract, Collagen Extract, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Leontopodium Alpinum Callus Culture Extract, Eragrostis Tef Seed Extract, Rice Amino Acids, Hydrolyzed Adansonia Digitata Seed Extract, Proline, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sucrose Palmitate
EmollientOlea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dextran
Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sucrose Palmitate, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Bacillus Ferment, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Dextran, Trifluoroacetyl Tripeptide-2
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateXanthan 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
