What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Eryngium Maritimum Callus Culture Filtrate
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Trehalose, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Eryngium Maritimum Callus Culture Filtrate, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, Carnosine, Parfum, Tocopherol, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 19140, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Glycerides Polyglyceryl-10 Esters
EmollientBetaine
Humectant
Prunus Persica Fruit Extract
Abrasive
Squalane
Emollient
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Olivate
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingRetinyl Propionate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningAroma
Quaternium-73
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Propylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Glycerides Polyglyceryl-10 Esters, Betaine, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Squalane, Madecassoside, Retinol, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cetearyl Olivate, Pentylene Glycol, Sorbitan Olivate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Allantoin, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Xanthan Gum, Aminomethyl Propanol, Retinyl Propionate, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid, Aroma, Quaternium-73, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 80, Polysorbate 20, 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.
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
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 HydroxyacetophenonePropylene 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 GlycolWater. 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 Gum
