What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine Phosphate
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
EDTA
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Rosa Alba Flower Extract
Emollient
Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Soluble Proteoglycan
Skin ConditioningSh-Barley Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Carboxymethyl Chitin
Gel FormingParachlorella Kessleri Exopolysaccharides
HumectantWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Pentylene Glycol, Adenosine Phosphate, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, EDTA, Panthenol, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Rosa Alba Flower Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Soluble Proteoglycan, Sh-Barley Seed Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Carboxymethyl Chitin, Parachlorella Kessleri Exopolysaccharides
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZiziphus Jujuba Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Seed Oil
Sodium Chloride
MaskingRosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Averrhoa Carambola Leaf Extract
HumectantAorta Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Idaeus Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Sericin
Skin ConditioningCamellia Euryoides Leaf Extract
EmollientArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Honey Extract
Humectant
Aspergillus/Camellia Japonica Seed Ferment Extract Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSoluble Collagen
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingSimethicone
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
EDTA
Laurtrimonium Chloride
Emulsifying
Hypericum Erectum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG-400, Sorbitol, Alcohol Denat., Glycerin, Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer, Arginine, Xanthan Gum, Ziziphus Jujuba Seed Extract, Camellia Seed Oil, Sodium Chloride, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Averrhoa Carambola Leaf Extract, Aorta Extract, Rubus Idaeus Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sericin, Camellia Euryoides Leaf Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Honey Extract, Aspergillus/Camellia Japonica Seed Ferment Extract Filtrate, Soluble Collagen, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Simethicone, Citric Acid, EDTA, Laurtrimonium Chloride, Hypericum Erectum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolEDTA is the shortened name for ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. It is a chelating agent and used to stabilize products.
Chelating Agents are used to prevent trace metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This can prevent unwanted reactions or changed efficacy of products.
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 GlycerinThis ingredient is a semi-synthetic polymer created from cellulose. In case you need a refresher, cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls.
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose has many uses:
- emulsifier
- create a gel-like texture
- boost foam
Phenoxyethanol 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.
Water. 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
