What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingCaprylhydroxamic Acid
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantMethylparaben
PreservativeDisodium EDTA
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin ConditioningMica
Cosmetic ColorantPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
MaskingWater
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantSesamum Indicum Seed Oil
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientVitis Vinifera Seed Oil
EmollientRosa Canina Fruit Oil
EmollientMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientMangifera Indica Seed Butter
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingPalmitic Acid
EmollientTriethanolamine
BufferingCaprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePanthenol
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin ConditioningGinkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningAlgae Extract
EmollientPrunus Cerasus Fruit Extract
AntioxidantFagus Sylvatica Bud Extract
TonicLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
MaskingPrunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil
MaskingMentha Piperita Oil
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingMentha Piperita Extract
CleansingChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Propylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Mangifera Indica Seed Butter, Stearic Acid, Palmitic Acid, Triethanolamine, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Carbomer, Chlorphenesin, Caprylyl Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Algae Extract, Prunus Cerasus Fruit Extract, Fagus Sylvatica Bud Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Prunus Armeniaca Kernel Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Linalool, Mentha Piperita Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolTriethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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