What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Methylparaben
Preservative
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantAcrylic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylamide
Cetearyl Olivate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingMethylparaben
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
C12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingPropylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCI 61570
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Polyacrylamide, Cetearyl Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethiconol, Sorbitan Olivate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Parfum, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Laureth-7, Methylparaben, Propylene Glycol, C12-14 Pareth-12, Propylparaben, Ethylparaben, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, CI 61570, CI 42090, CI 19140
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDimethiconol is a silicone that resembles the popular dimethicone. Like other silicones, it is an emollient. Emollients create a thin film on skin to prevent moisture from escaping.
This ingredient helps to create a silky texture and improve spreadability. Due to its high molecular weight and thickness, it is often combined with cyclopentasiloxane.
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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenPhenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
