What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Galactoarabinan
Magnesium Sulfate
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Medicago Sativa Extract
TonicMethylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Acinos Alpinus Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMorus Alba Extract
AstringentPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane, Water, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Galactoarabinan, Magnesium Sulfate, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium PCA, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Hexyl Laurate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Medicago Sativa Extract, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Acinos Alpinus Extract, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Morus Alba Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
PEG-12 Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phosphate
BufferingPanthenyl Triacetate
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Sulfate
Hydrolyzed Sericin
Skin ConditioningEthyl Linoleate
Emollient
Buddleja Davidii Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ConditioningAngelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningDipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningDisodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Tyrosine
Skin ConditioningDimethiconol
Emollient
Oleyl Alcohol
Emollient
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine Triphosphate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Dipropylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, PEG-12 Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Phosphate, Panthenyl Triacetate, Phospholipids, Magnesium Sulfate, Hydrolyzed Sericin, Ethyl Linoleate, Buddleja Davidii Meristem Cell Culture, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Lactobacillus/Panax Ginseng Root Extract Ferment Filtrate, Disodium Acetyl Glucosamine Phosphate, Acetyl Tyrosine, Dimethiconol, Oleyl Alcohol, Proline, Parfum, Tocopherol, Beta-Glucan, Adenosine Triphosphate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein, Sodium Chloride, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
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 GlycolCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneDimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone created by modifying dimethicone with hydrocarbon side chains. Due to its large size, it does not penetrate skin. It is considered non-occlusive.
Dimethicone Crosspolymer is used to stabilize and thicken products. It also helps give products a silky feel.
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 GlycerinMagnesium Sulfate is a salt. More specifically, it is an epsom salt, or the bath salt used to help relieve muscle aches.
Despite having ‘sulfate’ in the name, it isn’t a surfactant or cleansing agent like sodium lauryl sulfate. Unlike those sulfates, magnesium sulfate doesn’t have the same cleansing or foaming properties (it's simply a type of salt).
In cosmetics, Magnesium Sulfate is used to thicken a product or help dilute other solids. It is a non-reactive and non-irritating ingredient.
One study shows magnesium deficiency may lead to inflammation of the skin. Applying magnesium topically may help reduce inflammation.
You can find this ingredient in sea water or mineral deposits.
Learn more about Magnesium SulfatePhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
