What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine
Emulsifying
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Brassica Campestris Sterols
EmollientPEG-5 Rapeseed Sterol
Cleansing
Ceteth-3
EmulsifyingCeteth-5
EmulsifyingCholesterol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Cetyl Phosphate
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Paraffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientPhenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingSalicylic Acid
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Cera Alba
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Phosphatidylcholine, Alcohol, Retinol, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Brassica Campestris Sterols, PEG-5 Rapeseed Sterol, Ceteth-3, Ceteth-5, Cholesterol, Silica, Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Cetyl Phosphate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Polysorbate 20, Disodium EDTA, Paraffinum Liquidum, Butylene Glycol, Neopentyl Glycol Dicaprate, Phenyl Trimethicone, Octyldodecyl Stearoyl Stearate, Hexyl Laurate, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Triethanolamine, Salicylic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Stearic Acid, Cera Alba, BHT, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 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 GlycolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
