What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Methyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Ascorbic Acid/Orange/Citrus Limon/Citrus Aurantifolia Polypeptides
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
HumectantArctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methyl Trimethicone, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbic Acid/Orange/Citrus Limon/Citrus Aurantifolia Polypeptides, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Arctostaphylos Uva Ursi Leaf Extract, Alpha-Arbutin, Superoxide Dismutase, Tocopheryl Acetate, Ubiquinone, Retinyl Palmitate, Phospholipids, Water, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
C15-19 Alkane
SolventSalvia Hispanica Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Poria Cocos Polysaccharide
Skin ConditioningPapain
Skin Conditioning
Dunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningAminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Terminalia Arjuna Extract
Skin ConditioningTremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract
Antioxidant
Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Algin
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Phytosteryl Oleate
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Serine
Masking
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Inositol
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Carrageenan
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventProline
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantPantolactone
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyacrylate-13
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Polyisobutene
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion Stabilising1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Glycerin, C15-19 Alkane, Salvia Hispanica Seed Oil, Sodium PCA, Trehalose, Poria Cocos Polysaccharide, Papain, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Terminalia Arjuna Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Sporocarp Extract, Ascorbyl Methylsilanol Pectinate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phytosterols, Algin, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Phytosteryl Oleate, Tocopherol, Serine, Oleic Acid, Inositol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Betaine, Carrageenan, Panthenol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Methylpropanediol, Proline, Xylitol, Calcium Gluconate, Pantolactone, Lecithin, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyacrylate-13, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Polyisobutene, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Gluconolactone, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Sorbate, Carbomer, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Limonene, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Phenoxyethanol 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
