What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax
Emulsifying
Polybutene
Sucrose
Humectant
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Isostearyl Neopentanoate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientSigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Coleus Barbatus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningBetula Alba Bark Extract
Masking
Polysilicone-11
Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Salvia Officinalis Leaf
MaskingGlyceryl Polymethacrylate
Faex Extract
Skin ConditioningGentiana Lutea Root Extract
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Milk Protein
Skin ConditioningWhey Protein
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Oligopeptide
Cleansing
Squalane
Emollient
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
PEG-8
HumectantPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingDimethicone
Emollient
Isomerized Linoleic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sulfate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantMica
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polyglyceryl-3 Beeswax, Polybutene, Sucrose, Cetyl Esters, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Isostearyl Neopentanoate, Glycerin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, PEG-100 Stearate, Coleus Barbatus Root Extract, Betula Alba Bark Extract, Polysilicone-11, Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Faex Extract, Gentiana Lutea Root Extract, Stearic Acid, Milk Protein, Whey Protein, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Squalane, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cholesterol, Caffeine, PEG-8, Phytosphingosine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Dimethicone, Isomerized Linoleic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Decarboxy Carnosine Hcl, Potassium Sulfate, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Phenoxyethanol, CI 19140, Mica, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningRosa Damascena Flower Water
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Water
MaskingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
Astringent
Marrubium Vulgare Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantLapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningMaris Sal
Skin ConditioningWater, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Citrus Aurantium Amara Flower Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Carbomer, Caffeine, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Citric Acid, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Phenethyl Alcohol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Furcellaria Lumbricalis Extract, CI 42090, Lapsana Communis Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Maris Sal
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 GlycolCaffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineGlycerin (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 Water
