What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-69
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Humulus Lupulus Extract
AntimicrobialJasminum Officinale Flower Extract
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Extract
EmollientCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
ChelatingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Water, Polyquaternium-69, Glycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Humulus Lupulus Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower Extract, Citrus Limon Peel Extract, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Water
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-37
Vp/Dmapa Acrylates Copolymer
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Polyquaternium-11
Parfum
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPPG-1 Trideceth-6
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
ChelatingPEG-4 Dilaurate
Emulsifying
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
PEG-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Bacopa Monnieri Extract
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Oleate
Emulsifying
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Vp/Dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate Copolymer
Benzalkonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
PEG-4
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Chitosan
Glycerin
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Amyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Salicylate
Perfuming
Citral
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Hydroxycitronellal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Polyquaternium-37, Vp/Dmapa Acrylates Copolymer, Cyclopentasiloxane, Polyquaternium-11, Parfum, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Polysorbate 60, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, PPG-1 Trideceth-6, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Disodium EDTA, PEG-4 Dilaurate, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, PEG-4 Laurate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Bacopa Monnieri Extract, Sorbitan Oleate, Alcohol Denat., Vp/Dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate Copolymer, Benzalkonium Chloride, Caprylyl Glycol, Panthenol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, PEG-4, Butylene Glycol, Chitosan, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Tocopherol, Amyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Salicylate, Citral, Citronellol, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Hydroxycitronellal, Limonene, Linalool
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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinIodopropynyl Butylcarbamate (IPBC) is a preservative that is especially good at getting fungi and mold out of your cosmetics.
IPBC works by leveraging the antimicrobial properties of its iodine containing structure. Iodine has been used as a germicide since the late 1800s and IPBC is a more refined and stable derivative of it.
It is typically used at very low levels in cosmetics, with most formulations using 0.0125% or less (well below its approved maximum).
In the EU, IPBC concentration limits are set at 0.02% in rinse-off products and 0.01% in leave-on products.
Though IPBC is a relatively uncommon contact allergen, patch testing studies show positive reaction rates ranging from 0.3%-0.9% of patients tested. This is still quite low compared to preservatives like methylisothiazolinone which sits at around 4-5%.
Researchers note that existing iodine sensitives or rubber allergies may be the cause of this as IPBC shares a structure with both thiuram (used in rubber) and iodine.
Be sure to patch test if you are unsure and speak with a medical professional about using this ingredient.
Learn more about Iodopropynyl ButylcarbamatePhenoxyethanol 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
