What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningOctocrylene
UV Absorber
Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientSilica
Abrasive
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Sucrose Tristearate
Emollient
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 61
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethiconol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Glycyrrhetinic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Water, Octocrylene, Isopropyl Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Dimethicone, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Silica, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sucrose Tristearate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Pentylene Glycol, Polysorbate 61, Allantoin, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Dimethiconol, Disodium EDTA, Glycyrrhetinic Acid, Hydroxypalmitoyl Sphinganine, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triethanolamine, Xanthan Gum, Zinc Gluconate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingPEG-75
HumectantCitric Acid
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, PEG-75, Citric Acid, Allantoin, Caffeine, Carbomer, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide NP, Cholesterol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Phytosphingosine, Propylene Glycol, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Xanthan Gum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
