What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningIsohexadecane
EmollientDipropylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride
EmollientLauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientSodium Chloride
MaskingIsostearic Acid
Cleansing
Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Pyrus Malus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Hydrogenated Coconut Oil
Emollient
Gardenia Taitensis Flower
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningGlucosamine Hcl
Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil
Masking
Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningEucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Aniba Rosodora Wood Oil
Astringent
Abies Sibirica Oil
Masking
Santalum Album Oil
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Colloidal Oatmeal
Absorbent
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Urea
Buffering
Hexyldecanol
Emollient
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Cetyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingLinalool
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Isohexadecane, Dipropylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Sodium Chloride, Isostearic Acid, Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Pyrus Malus Seed Extract, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Hydrogenated Coconut Oil, Gardenia Taitensis Flower, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Yeast Extract, Glucosamine Hcl, Cedrus Atlantica Bark Oil, Cupressus Sempervirens Leaf/Stem Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Aniba Rosodora Wood Oil, Abies Sibirica Oil, Santalum Album Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Colloidal Oatmeal, Madecassoside, Urea, Hexyldecanol, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Cetyl Dimethicone, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Linalool, Geraniol, Citronellol, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Pantolactone
Humectant
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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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
