What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Prunus Armeniaca Seed Powder
Abrasive
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cocoate
Emulsifying
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Urea
Buffering
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sapindus Mukorossi Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningChlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientEthylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Olive Oil Decyl Esters
Emulsion Stabilising
PEG-8
HumectantSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethanolamine
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Codium Tomentosum Extract
Skin ProtectingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAscorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Glyceryl Stearate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Methyl Gluceth-20, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Hydrogenated Olive Oil Decyl Esters, PEG-8, Sodium Polyacrylate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethanolamine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Tocopherol, Codium Tomentosum Extract, Carbomer, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Inulin, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Ascorbic Acid, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolGlyceryl Stearate is made by reacting glycerin with stearic acid (typically sourced from plant oils like palm or coconut). It's an emulsifier, emollient, and mild occlusive.
Emulsifiers help ingredients like oil and water stay mixed so your formula stays nicely blended and uniform in texture.
This ingredient is typically used in concentrations between 1-10%. Studies have found it to be non-sensitizing, non-phototoxic, and non-photoallergenic.
A close cousin of this ingredient is Glyceryl Stearate SE ("self-emulsifying"). This just has a small amount of sodium or potassium stearate added so it can emulsify without a co-emulsifier.
Since this ingredient is an ester of a C18 fatty acid, it may not be fungal acne safe. The Malassezia yeast can potentially metabolize within the C11-C24 range.
Fun fact: The human body also creates Glyceryl Stearate naturally.
Learn more about Glyceryl StearatePhenoxyethanol 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
