What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Superoxide Dismutase
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract
HumectantSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Soy Isoflavones
Skin ConditioningQuercetin
Antioxidant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Carnitine
Cleansing
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningHectorite
AbsorbentSilica
Abrasive
Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer
Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
Antimicrobial
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingCetearyl Olivate
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingSorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Pentasodium Pentetate
Potassium Citrate
BufferingPotassium Gluconate
Skin ProtectingPhytic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium PCA, Squalane, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Lactic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide Ng, Superoxide Dismutase, Ubiquinone, Phyllanthus Emblica Fruit Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Ectoin, Niacinamide, Soy Isoflavones, Quercetin, Phospholipids, Caffeine, Tranexamic Acid, Ferulic Acid, Carnitine, Adenosine, Zinc PCA, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Hectorite, Silica, Hdi/Trimethylol Hexyllactone Crosspolymer, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Cetearyl Olivate, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Sorbitan Olivate, Citric Acid, Pentasodium Pentetate, Potassium Citrate, Potassium Gluconate, Phytic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbic Acid, Potassium Sorbate, CI 77891
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Steareth-20
CleansingChrysin
Skin ConditioningN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Phytonadione Epoxide
AstringentVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
Emollient
Persea Gratissima Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Triethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Palmitate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Steareth-20, Chrysin, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Glycol Distearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Phytonadione Epoxide, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Titanium Dioxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
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 CarbomerGlycerin (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 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
