What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSea Water
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tripropylene Glycol
Antioxidant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Methylpropanediol
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Xylitol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate
Emulsifying
Gellan Gum
Sodium DNA
Skin Conditioning
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Malachite Extract
Antioxidant
Arginine
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningMethyl Diisopropyl Propionamide
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Water, Sea Water, Butylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tripropylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Methylpropanediol, Glycerin, Beta-Glucan, Xylitol, Propanediol, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glycereth-25 PCA Isostearate, Gellan Gum, Sodium DNA, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Malachite Extract, Arginine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Methyl Diisopropyl Propionamide, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
Emulsifying
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGalactomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Bifida Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Aspergillus Ferment
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Tromethamine
BufferingButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Lees Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningCyclodextrin
AbsorbentArachidic Acid
Cleansing
Myristic Acid
Cleansing
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Phytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Phyllostachys Pubescens Shoot Bark Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Xanthan Gum, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Panthenol, Bifida Ferment Filtrate, Aspergillus Ferment, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ceramide NP, Disodium EDTA, Pentylene Glycol, Tromethamine, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Phytosterols, Oryza Sativa Lees Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Squalane, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Cyclodextrin, Arachidic Acid, Myristic Acid, Oleic Acid, Ceramide Ns, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneWater. 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
