What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ceteareth-20
CleansingParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Petrolatum
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Isopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Carnitine
Cleansing
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Azelaic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Paraffinum Liquidum, Propylene Glycol, Petrolatum, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Laureth-7, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Carnitine, Benzyl Alcohol, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Azelaic acid is a multitasker ingredient that helps treat acne, pigmentation, and irritation. It is a great option for sensitive skin.
What makes it special?
OTC Azelaic acid is usually available in concentrations from 10-15% and anything over requires a prescription.
Here's what each tier does best:
Unlike other acids, azelaic acid will not make your skin more photosensitive/sun sensitive.
Though this ingredient is naturally occurring in grains like wheat, rye, and barley, it is usually synthetically created for cosmetics to ensure stability and effectiveness.
Learn more about Azelaic AcidPropylene 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
