What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lactate
Buffering
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Diglycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Urea
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Phytate
Betula Alba Juice
AstringentMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Benzaldehyde
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningSalicylic Acid
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polydextrose
HumectantDextrin
AbsorbentAmylopectin
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Water, Propanediol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycolic Acid, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Salicylic Acid, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Polydextrose, Dextrin, Amylopectin, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Gluconolactone
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzoic Acid is an organic acid that shows up in cosmetics as a preservative. It helps keep a product from spoiling by holding back the growth of yeast, mold, and some bacteria.
This ingredient also functions as a fragrance ingredient that helps mask the unpleasant scent of other ingredients.
The way it works is worth understanding; benzoic acid works when the formula is acidic. It is able to sneak into a microbe's cell and mess up how it functions to stop it from growing in an acidic product.
However, the acid switches to an inactive form and stops working if a product isn't acidic enough (above ~5 pH). This is why you'll often see it in low pH products or teamed up with other preservatives to cover the gap.
Safety wise, it's one of the better studied preservatives out there.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%.
A large international review found this ingredient had no effects on the human body and had low irritation potential.
Just so you know, real world use is usually much lower than the 5% ceiling (usually 1% of less).
The EU caps it at 2.5% in rinse-off products, 1.7% in oral care, and 0.5% in leave-on products.
One thing worth mentioning (it's nothing to worry about): some people get a little stinging or flushing where they apply it. This isn't a true allergy; it's a temporary and harmless reaction. This is the same kind of mild tingle you might notice from sorbic acid.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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
