What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Sea Silt
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tea-Sorbate
Antimicrobial
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
C12-13 Pareth-23
CleansingPolysorbate 60
Emulsifying
C12-13 Pareth-3
EmulsifyingSorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningOleth-12
EmulsifyingWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Panthenol, Sea Silt, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Allantoin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Citric Acid, Tea-Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, C12-13 Pareth-23, Polysorbate 60, C12-13 Pareth-3, Sorbitan Isostearate, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Extract, Oleth-12
Water
Skin ConditioningSoluble Collagen
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Babassu Oil Glycereth-8 Esters
Emulsifying
Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters
Emollient
Almond Oil PEG-8 Esters
Emollient
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingGeraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Soluble Collagen, Butylene Glycol, Babassu Oil Glycereth-8 Esters, Olive Oil PEG-7 Esters, Almond Oil PEG-8 Esters, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Panthenol, Benzyl Alcohol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hyaluronate, Parfum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Geraniol, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholButylene 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 EDTAPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
