What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPlacental Protein
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningRoyal Jelly Extract
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Styrene/Vp Copolymer
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingMagnesium Aluminum Silicate
Absorbent
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingRutin
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tyrosine
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantWater, Placental Protein, Butylene Glycol, Yeast Extract, Royal Jelly Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Pentylene Glycol, Styrene/Vp Copolymer, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Caffeine, Xanthan Gum, Rutin, Acetyl Tyrosine, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
PEG-150
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Dipentaerythrityl Tri-Polyhydroxystearate
Emollient
PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate
Surfactant
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Milk Ferment
Skin ConditioningSoy Isoflavones
Skin ConditioningGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PPG-4-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingSodium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Pvp, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, PEG-150, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Beeswax, Dipentaerythrityl Tri-Polyhydroxystearate, PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Retinol, Retinyl Palmitate, Milk Ferment, Soy Isoflavones, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Ceramide Ng, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-4-Ceteth-20, Sodium Ascorbate, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Zea Mays Oil, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 80, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Lecithin, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
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 GlycolCarbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
