What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialDiethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol
UV Filter
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate/Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Butyloctyl Salicylate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Dibehenate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHydrated Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningDehydroxanthan Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingWater, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Phospholipids, Polysorbate 80, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetramethylbutylphenol, Decyl Glucoside, Propylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Polyglyceryl-2 Isostearate/Dimer Dilinoleate Copolymer, Squalane, Butyloctyl Salicylate, Sodium Carbomer, Glyceryl Dibehenate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydrated Silica, Sodium Gluconate, Dehydroxanthan Gum, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Triethanolamine
Water
Skin ConditioningZinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialIsostearic Acid
Cleansing
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Isododecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Silica
Abrasive
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Talc
Abrasive
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSalix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Scutellaria Baicalensis Callus Culture
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Houttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin Conditioning
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPhellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientO-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Sulfate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Zinc Oxide, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Isostearic Acid, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Cyclopentasiloxane, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Isododecane, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Methicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Titanium Dioxide, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Talc, Sodium Chloride, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Callus Culture, Centella Asiatica Extract, Bisabolol, Hamamelis Virginiana Extract, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Rehmannia Chinensis Root Extract, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Lactobacillus/Pear Juice Ferment Filtrate, Butylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Caprylate, O-Cymen-5-Ol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Magnesium Sulfate, Phenoxyethanol
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 GlycolC12-15 Alkyl Benzoate is a lightweight emollient made by combinig benzoic acid with fatty alcohols that are 12-15 carbons long.
In cosmetics, it plays several roles:
The Cosmetic Review Expert Panel has concluded the alkyl benzoate group to be safe as used in cosmetics; it wasn't found to be a skin irritant and unlikely to be absorbed due to its low water solubility.
This report recorded almost 1000 reported uses with concentrations up to 59% in leave-on products but your cosmetics will typically use 0.5-15% depending on the product.
It's often called a "SPF booster": this is because it keeps UV filters properly dissolved and evenly distributed to support a sunscreen's performance. It doesn't actually raise SPF on its own.
Overall, this ingredient is well tolerated.
This ingredient is fungal acne safe because it is an ester of benzoic acid.
Think of this ingredient as two parts stuck together: an oily part and an acid part. Malassezia only gets a meal when it can snip off a fatty acid to eat. With C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, the acid part is benzoic acid, which isn't a fatty acid and which the yeast can't use as food.
Benzoic acid is actually used as a preservative to stop yeast from growing.
The oily part is a blend of C12-15 fatty alcohols but fatty alcohols in this size range can support only a little Malassezia growth (mostly for one species of Malassezia as well).
In the ingredient, those alcohols stay locked inside the molecule. The yeast can only reach them by snipping the benzoate bond, and that type of bond is harder for it to cut than a normal fatty bond.
So not much gets released. And whatever does get snipped comes packaged with benzoic acid, which discourages yeast growth.
Learn more about C12-15 Alkyl BenzoateEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 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
