What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantHamamelis Virginiana Water
AstringentSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingFructose
HumectantGlucose
HumectantSucrose
HumectantGlutamic Acid
HumectantAspartic Acid
MaskingHexyl Nicotinate
EmollientAlanine
MaskingDextrin
AbsorbentUrea
BufferingCoceth-6
EmulsifyingPPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether
EmulsifyingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Benzoic Acid
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientParfum
MaskingWater, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Hexylene Glycol, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Hexyl Nicotinate, Alanine, Dextrin, Urea, Coceth-6, PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Citrate, Disodium EDTA, Benzoic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingTrehalose
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantChamomilla Recutita Flower Water
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantHamamelis Virginiana Water
AstringentAvena Sativa Kernel Flour
AbrasiveSodium PCA
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingPolyglyceryl-3 Cocoate
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingBenzoic Acid
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Tromethamine
BufferingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Trehalose, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water, Tocopheryl Acetate, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Sodium PCA, Allantoin, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Polyglyceryl-3 Cocoate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Benzoic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Tromethamine
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Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidDisodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.
You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinHamamelis Virginiana Water is made by distilling parts of the witch hazel plant. You can also call this ingredient "witch hazel water".
The name 'Hamamelis Virginiana Water' refers to the distillation product used in cosmetics. On the other hand, 'Witch Hazel' refers to the active drug ingredient.
Unless it is specified to be non-alcohol, many types of witch hazel ingredients are distilled in denatured alcohol.
Witch Hazel water is an astringent, anti-inflammatory antioxidant, and antibacterial ingredient.
It contains tannins. Tannins have a drying effect when used on skin by constricting proteins. The constriction also minimizes the appearance of pores.
Both the tannins and fragrance found in witch hazel may be skin-sensitizing.
Witch hazel water gets anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties from its catechin and gallic acid content.
Indigenous groups have used witch hazel to help treat inflammation in North America for centuries.
Learn more about Hamamelis Virginiana WaterPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water