What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingMalva Sylvestris Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Rhodomyrtus Tomentosa Fruit Extract
HumectantMethylparaben
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-3 Decyltetradecyl Ether
EmulsifyingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningO-Cymen-5-Ol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Butylene Glycol, Cynara Scolymus Leaf Extract, Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Malva Sylvestris Flower Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Rhodomyrtus Tomentosa Fruit Extract, Methylparaben, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-3 Decyltetradecyl Ether, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Water
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Squalane, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Dimethicone, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Potassium Hydroxide, Tocopherol, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Ethylparaben
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 GlycolDipotassium Glycyrrhizate comes from licorice root.
Extracts of licorice have demonstrated to have antibacterial, anti‐inflammatory, antiviral, antioxidant properties.
One component, glabridin, has extra potent antioxidant and soothing properties. It has also been found to block pigmentation from UVB rays in guinea pigs.
Licorice Root also contains a flavonoid. Flavonoids are a natural substance from in plants. Flavonoids also have antioxidant properties.
Another component, glycyrrhizin, has been found to have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits. This may make licorice root extract effective at treating acne. However, more research is needed to support this.
Liquiritin is one of the flavone compounds found in licorice. It has been found to help lighten skin by preventing tyrosinase from reacting with tyrosine. When the two react, protein is converted to melanin. Melanin is the substance in your body that gives your features pigmentation.
Licorice root is native to Southern Europe and Asia. It has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help with respiratory issues.
Learn more about Dipotassium GlycyrrhizateMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenPhenoxyethanol 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
