What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Nicotiana Benthamiana Octapeptide-30 Sh-Oligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicNicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-9
Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-86
Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract
Astringent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCoccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Corallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Dextran
Sodium Phytate
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Nicotiana Benthamiana Octapeptide-30 Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Mentha Piperita Leaf Extract, Biotin, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-9, Nicotiana Benthamiana Hexapeptide-40 Sh-Polypeptide-86, Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract, Panthenol, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Dextran, Sodium Phytate, Parfum, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingDisodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Polyquaternium-7
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate
Surfactant
Glycerin
Humectant
Amodimethicone
Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Maleic Acid
BufferingSodium PCA
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Alanine
Masking
Arginine
Masking
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Tyrosine
MaskingCysteine
Antioxidant
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningPhenylalanine
Masking
Histidine
Humectant
Lysine
Skin ConditioningMethionine
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Leucine
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingThreonine
Glycine
Buffering
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Tryptophan
MaskingC12-13 Alketh-23
CleansingC12-13 Alketh-3
EmulsifyingPPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingSodium Isethionate
CleansingPolyquaternium-10
C11-15 Pareth-7
EmulsifyingLaureth-9
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-3 Laurate
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Trideceth-12
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Polyquaternium-7, Propylene Glycol, PEG-55 Propylene Glycol Oleate, Glycerin, Amodimethicone, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Glycol Distearate, Maleic Acid, Sodium PCA, Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Panthenol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Phenoxyethanol, Alanine, Arginine, Proline, Tyrosine, Cysteine, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, Histidine, Lysine, Methionine, Glutamic Acid, Leucine, Valine, Threonine, Glycine, Aspartic Acid, Tryptophan, C12-13 Alketh-23, C12-13 Alketh-3, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Sodium Isethionate, Polyquaternium-10, C11-15 Pareth-7, Laureth-9, Polyglyceryl-3 Laurate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide AP, Trideceth-12, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPanthenol 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 PanthenolPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
