What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyvinyl Alcohol
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Magnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Sea Water Extract
Skin ConditioningHyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Menthol
Masking
Copper Chlorophyll
Cosmetic ColorantAcetyl Cysteine
Antioxidant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Leaf Extract
HumectantEpilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningSea Salt
Abrasive
Silica
Abrasive
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantTin Oxide
Abrasive
CI 77510
Cosmetic ColorantSynthetic Fluorphlogopite
Chromium Oxide Greens
Water, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Sea Water Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Menthol, Copper Chlorophyll, Acetyl Cysteine, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Simmondsia Chinensis Leaf Extract, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Sea Salt, Silica, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Mica, Iron Oxides, CI 77891, Tin Oxide, CI 77510, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Chromium Oxide Greens
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinMagnesium Aluminum Silicate is a type of silica. It comes from naturally occuring minerals such as silicate ores and clay.
Magnesium aluminum silicate is used for enhancing texture and as an absorbent. Due to its large molecular size, it is unable to be absorbed into the skin.
Like other types of silica, this ingredient can be used to thicken a product. As an absorbent, it may be used to absorb extra water or help prevent clumping.
Although “aluminum” in an ingredient name can raise red flags for some consumers, the form and usage context matter significantly. For typical topical applications, there is no substantial evidence of health risks - such as cancer, neurotoxicity, or systemic “aluminum overload.”
Learn more about Magnesium Aluminum SilicateWater. 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
