What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingKojic Acid
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater
Skin ConditioningCitrus Unshiu Peel Extract
Masking
Diacetyl Boldine
Skin Conditioning
Rumex Occidentalis Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Arbutin, Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi Leaf Extract, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Kojic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Lactic Acid, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Polysorbate 20, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Water, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Diacetyl Boldine, Rumex Occidentalis Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePhenoxyethanol 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.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolWater. 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
