What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Vegetable Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Oleyl Erucate
Emollient
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentCandelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Rosa Centifolia Flower Water
Skin ConditioningOenothera Biennis Oil
Emollient
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingHeptyl Undecylenate
EmollientHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBehentrimonium Methosulfate
Surfactant
Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract
AstringentGlyceryl Oleate
Emollient
Calcium Gluconate
HumectantHydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Soy Protein
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch
Skin ConditioningChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Rosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Urtica Dioica Extract
AstringentButylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenethyl Alcohol
MaskingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Geranyl Acetate
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Disodium EDTA
Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil
Astringent
Heliotropine
Masking
Juniperus Virginiana Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Oil
Masking
Styrax Tonkinensis Resin Oil
Perfuming
Rosa Damascena Flower Oil
Masking
Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil
Masking
Cananga Odorata Flower Oil
Masking
Jasminum Grandiflorum Flower Extract
Masking
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Eugenol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Vegetable Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Oleyl Erucate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Rosa Centifolia Flower Water, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Gluconolactone, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Heptyl Undecylenate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Aminomethyl Propanol, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Behentrimonium Methosulfate, Equisetum Arvense Leaf Extract, Glyceryl Oleate, Calcium Gluconate, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Sodium Chloride, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Urtica Dioica Extract, Butylene Glycol, Phenethyl Alcohol, Alcohol, Geranyl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Disodium EDTA, Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil, Heliotropine, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Oil, Styrax Tonkinensis Resin Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus Leaf Oil, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Jasminum Grandiflorum Flower Extract, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Benzyl Benzoate, Citronellol, Limonene, Eugenol, 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.
Phenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolXanthan 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
