What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Oleic Acid
Emollient
Terminalia Arjuna Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Chrysin
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
N-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningSteareth-20
CleansingLecithin
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Water, Glycerin, Cucurbita Pepo Seed Oil, Dimethicone, Isopropyl Palmitate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycol Distearate, Stearic Acid, Stearyl Alcohol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Oleic Acid, Terminalia Arjuna Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Allantoin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Chrysin, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Titanium Dioxide, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Steareth-20, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Polysorbate 20
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Lycopene
Antioxidant
Vitis Vinifera Skin Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthyl Lauroyl Arginate Hcl
Skin ConditioningLecithin
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Silica
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Squalane, Niacinamide, Glycerin, Panthenol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Lycopene, Vitis Vinifera Skin Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Acacia Senegal Gum, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Ethyl Lauroyl Arginate Hcl, Lecithin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Silica, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol
Reviews
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 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 GlycerinLecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol 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
