What's inside
What's inside
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientIsostearyl Palmitate
Emollient
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPEG-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingSucrose Cocoate
Emulsifying
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingBenzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Isostearyl Palmitate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Isononyl Isononanoate, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hexylene Glycol, PEG-4 Laurate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Sucrose Cocoate, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, 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.
Hexylene 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 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.
Water. 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
