What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Betaine
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Tromethamine
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPapain
Skin Conditioning
Saponins
CleansingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Poria Cocos Extract
Skin ConditioningProtease
Exfoliating
Saponaria Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSubtilisin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Water, Butylene Glycol, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Polysorbate 20, Methyl Gluceth-20, Lactic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Betaine, Propylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum, Dehydroacetic Acid, Tromethamine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Papain, Saponins, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Chloride, Glycerin, Behenyl Alcohol, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Stearyl Alcohol, Poria Cocos Extract, Protease, Saponaria Officinalis Leaf/Root Extract, Subtilisin, Tocopheryl Acetate
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Calendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSalix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Gluconolactone, Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Propanediol, Hyaluronic Acid, Panthenol, Chlorphenesin, Allantoin, Maltodextrin, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glyceryl Caprylate, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydrogenated Castor Oil (aka "castor wax") is what you get when castor oil is turned into a wax.
Its dominant fatty acid is ricinoleic acid, giving it both emollient and mild humectant properties.
According to EU CosIng, this ingredient helps soften skin, keep oil and water stay mixed, and thickens products.
Hydrogenated castor oil at 30% did not trigger a positive patch-test reaction and is well-tolerated.
Since this ingredient is based on an 18-carbon fatty acid, it falls into the chain-length range that Malassezia can feed on and may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Hydrogenated Castor OilPropylene 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 Water
