What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Lactobionic Acid
Buffering
Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emulsifying
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea
Emollient
Myristyl Alcohol
Emollient
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Cholesterol
Emollient
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Propylene Glycol, Lactobionic Acid, Polyacrylate-1 Crosspolymer, Behenyl Alcohol, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Bispalmitamide Mea, Myristyl Alcohol, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Cholesterol, Linoleic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Zinc Oxide, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Triethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Glycerin, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Niacinamide, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ceramide NP, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Maltodextrin, Phytosterols, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, Dipropylene Glycol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Caprylyl Glycol, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
