What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Zinc Oxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Acrylates/Carbamate Copolymer
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
BHT
Antioxidant
Bis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate
Antioxidant
Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract
Skin Protecting
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract
Emulsion Stabilising
Coco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Coconut Alkanes
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingIsohexadecane
EmollientIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientIsopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Melatonin
Antioxidant
Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid
Antioxidant
Oenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
PEG-60 Almond Glycerides
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Polyhydroxystearic Acid
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZinc PCA
Humectant
Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Acrylates/Carbamate Copolymer, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Benzyl Alcohol, BHT, Bis-Ethylhexyl Hydroxydimethoxy Benzylmalonate, Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Extract, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Coconut Alkanes, Disodium EDTA, Echium Plantagineum Seed Oil, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Isohexadecane, Isononyl Isononanoate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Melatonin, Nordihydroguaiaretic Acid, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Oleanolic Acid, Oryza Sativa Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, PEG-60 Almond Glycerides, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Phospholipids, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Polysorbate 60, Potassium Sorbate, Propanediol, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium PCA, Sphingolipids, Stearic Acid, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Tocopherol, Water, Xanthan Gum, Zinc PCA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Pentylene 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 GumZinc PCA is a clever two-in-one molecule: the zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA).
Think of it as two useful things bonded together; the PCA half is one of your skin's own natural moisturizing factors (NMF) so it helps hold water in the upper layers. On the other hand, the zinc half does the heavy lifting on oil and bacteria.
The zinc part slows down an enzyme that turns testosterone into DHT, the hormone that tells your oil glands to pump out more sebum. Less of that signal means less oil. It also gently fights acne-causing bacteria and soothes redness/irritation.
This is why Zinc PCA often shows up in products for oily, breakout-prone skin and greasy scalps.
One lab study also hinted it might have a small anti-aging perk because it seemed to protect collagen from UVA damage and even helped the skin make a bit more of it. That last bit is still early research done in a dish and not real skin, so take it as a nice bonus rather than a promise for now.
As for scar healing, the picture is more "maybe" than a firm yes. Zinc itself plays a real role in wound repair because it is a cofactor for the enzymes involved in collagen building, calming inflammation, and helping new skin cells cover a wound. Lower zinc levels are also linked to slower healing.
Most of the scar healing research is on zinc oxide or oral zinc rather than zinc PCA specifically, with a focus on healing fresh wounds instead of scars that are already there.
Direct evidence that zinc PCA improves the look of established scars is still limited at this time. Though it would be fair to say zinc PCA supports the general skin-repair environment thanks to its zinc content .
This ingredient is water-soluble and plays nicely with other actives like niacinamide and salicylic acid. It works best at mildly acidic formulas (~4-6 pH) and is effective at low levels. Around 0.1% is enough to be active and finished products commonly use it anywhere up to 4%.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-drama multitasker that suits oily and acne-prone skin.
Learn more about Zinc PCA
