What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Cellulose
Absorbent
Zinc Myristate
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Methylparaben
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Algin
Masking
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Lactobacillus
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosa Damascena Flower Extract
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Soluble Collagen
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTalc
Abrasive
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Iron Oxides
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Cellulose, Zinc Myristate, Lauroyl Lysine, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Methylparaben, Tocopherol, Water, Silica, Butylene Glycol, Algin, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Maltodextrin, Lactobacillus, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosa Damascena Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Citrate, Talc, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Iron Oxides
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Dimethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Leaf Extract
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTocopherol
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Dimethicone, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Isononyl Isononanoate, Phenoxyethanol, Niacinamide, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Chamomilla Recutita Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tocopherol, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Reviews
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 PhenoxyethanolScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract comes from the Baikal skullcap or Chinese skullcap plant. This plant is native to Northeast Asia and can be found in China, Mongolia, Korea, and Siberia.
In cosmetics, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits. This is due to the flavonoid composition of Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract.
In Chinese traditional folk medicine, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract is used to help treat lung issues and hypertension.
Learn more about Scutellaria Baicalensis Root ExtractTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about Tocopherol
