What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Lauramidopropyl Betaine
CleansingSodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate
Cleansing
Tea-Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Sucrose
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Cetyl Triethylmonium Dimethicone PEG-8 Succinate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-7
Laureth-2
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Sulfate
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
EDTA
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Lauramidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, Tea-Cocoyl Glutamate, Di-PPG-2 Myreth-10 Adipate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Sucrose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Cetyl Triethylmonium Dimethicone PEG-8 Succinate, Butylene Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Polyquaternium-7, Laureth-2, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Sulfate, Tocopheryl Acetate, EDTA, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPetrolatum
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phoenix Dactylifera Fruit Extract
EmollientPyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
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 GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolHexylene 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 GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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
