What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyacrylate-13
PEG-50 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Polyisobutene
Glycerin
Humectant
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingGlyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Lactobacillus/Collagen/Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Leaf Extract Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Squalane
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate
CleansingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Propanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Propylene Glycol, Polyacrylate-13, PEG-50 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Polyisobutene, Glycerin, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Triethanolamine, Glyceryl Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Lactobacillus/Collagen/Mesembryanthemum Crystallinum Leaf Extract Ferment Lysate, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Niacinamide, Squalane, Allantoin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Polysorbate 20, Sorbitan Isostearate, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Ceramide NP, Sodium Palmitoyl Sarcosinate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglutamic Acid, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Ceramide AP, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Beta-Glucan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Ceramide EOP
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
