What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientDicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
Astringent
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate
Emollient
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingPolyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Skin Conditioning
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbitan Laurate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Ethylene Brassylate
MaskingCitric Acid
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Water, Isohexadecane, Dicaprylyl Ether, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Hexylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Hydroxystearate, Lauryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-2 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitan Laurate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylene Brassylate, Citric Acid, Propylene Glycol
Water
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientIsostearyl Palmitate
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
PEG-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isostearyl Palmitate, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Sucrose Cocoate, Carbomer, Parfum, PEG-4 Laurate, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (IPBC) is a preservative that is especially good at getting fungi and mold out of your cosmetics.
IPBC works by leveraging the antimicrobial properties of its iodine containing structure. Iodine has been used as a germicide since the late 1800s and IPBC is a more refined and stable derivative of it.
It is typically used at very low levels in cosmetics, with most formulations using 0.0125% or less (well below its approved maximum).
In the EU, IPBC concentration limits are set at 0.02% in rinse-off products and 0.01% in leave-on products.
Though IPBC is a relatively uncommon contact allergen, patch testing studies show positive reaction rates ranging from 0.3%-0.9% of patients tested. This is still quite low compared to preservatives like methylisothiazolinone which sits at around 4-5%.
Researchers note that existing iodine sensitives or rubber allergies may be the cause of this as IPBC shares a structure with both thiuram (used in rubber) and iodine.
Be sure to patch test if you are unsure and speak with a medical professional about using this ingredient.
Learn more about Iodopropynyl ButylcarbamatePhenoxyethanol 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
