What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Houttuynia Cordata Water
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientPropanediol
Solvent
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Octanediol
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxycinnamic Acid
Skin ConditioningRutin
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Houttuynia Cordata Water, Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Ethyl Linoleate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Propanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Isostearic Acid, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Hydroxyacetophenone, Octanediol, Ceramide NP, Phytosphingosine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Beta-Glucan, Hydroxycinnamic Acid, Rutin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingC12-14 Alketh-12
EmulsifyingSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Hypochlorous Acid
Antiseborrhoeic
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingWater, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Panthenol, Octyldodeceth-16, C12-14 Alketh-12, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Allantoin, Citric Acid, Hypochlorous Acid, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Sodium Chloride
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolWater. 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
