What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Cimicifuga Racemosa Root Extract
Antimicrobial
Trisodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Cocoamphoacetate
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Parfum
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Benzophenone-1
UV Absorber
PEG-150 Distearate
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCI 14700
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Cocoamphoacetate, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Sodium Benzoate, Parfum, Citric Acid, Benzophenone-1, PEG-150 Distearate, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium EDTA, PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Citrus Paradisi Fruit Extract, CI 14700, CI 19140
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPolysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Water. 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
