What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Sucrose
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Alteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rice Extract
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Algae Extract
EmollientCaffeine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Dextrin Palmitate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitol
Humectant
Sodium Polyaspartate
HumectantTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingCitric Acid
Buffering
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
BHT
Antioxidant
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Phenyl Trimethicone, Propanediol, Sucrose, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Hydrolyzed Rice Extract, Acetyl Glucosamine, Trehalose, Algae Extract, Caffeine, Cholesterol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Dextrin Palmitate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Sorbitol, Sodium Polyaspartate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Carbomer, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Benzophenone-4, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, CI 14700, CI 19140
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-8
HumectantPEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
CI 61570
Cosmetic ColorantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingTetrasodium EDTA
Menthoxypropanediol
Masking
T-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Niacinamide, Dipropylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, PEG-8, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, CI 61570, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Menthoxypropanediol, T-Butyl Alcohol, Parfum
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 GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerGlycerin (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
