What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Nylon-12
Petrolatum
Emollient
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Drometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydrogenated Soybean Oil
Emollient
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMethylparaben
Preservative
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingPropylparaben
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid
UV Absorber
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Titanium Dioxide, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Propylene Glycol, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Octocrylene, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearic Acid, Dimethicone, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Nylon-12, Petrolatum, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Disodium EDTA, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Ethylparaben, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Methylparaben, Myristyl Myristate, PEG-100 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Propylparaben, Sodium Chloride, Stearyl Alcohol, Terephthalylidene Dicamphor Sulfonic Acid, Tocopherol, Triethanolamine
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Dimethicone
Emollient
PPG-17-Buteth-17
Skin ConditioningTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Disodium Succinate
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Agar
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Succinic Acid
BufferingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Dextrin
AbsorbentGlucosyl Ceramide
Skin Conditioning
Aphanothece Sacrum Exopolysaccharides
AbsorbentHydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer
Water, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Squalane, Triethylhexanoin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethicone, PPG-17-Buteth-17, Triethyl Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Disodium Succinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Agar, Disodium EDTA, Succinic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Arginine, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Dextrin, Glucosyl Ceramide, Aphanothece Sacrum Exopolysaccharides, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Ammonium Acrylates Copolymer
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenPhenoxyethanol 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
