What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Oryza Sativa Hull Powder
Abrasive
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingDiazolidinyl Urea
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Lactate
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Arginine
Masking
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningPCA
Humectant
Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
Astringent
Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Valine
MaskingLinalool
Perfuming
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantThreonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Lavandula Hybrida Oil
Emollient
Osmanthus Fragrans Flower Extract
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Histidine
Humectant
Phenylalanine
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPadina Pavonica Thallus Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Oryza Sativa Hull Powder, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sclerotium Gum, Diazolidinyl Urea, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium PCA, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Lactate, Potassium Sorbate, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, PCA, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Extract, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Serine, Valine, Linalool, Caramel, Threonine, Isoleucine, Proline, Parfum, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Lavandula Hybrida Oil, Osmanthus Fragrans Flower Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Sodium Hydroxide, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Polyacrylamide
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylparaben
Preservative
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone
Antioxidant
Steareth-20
CleansingPropanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Sodium Citrate
BufferingMorus Alba Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningChlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Dipeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-94
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-95
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Cetearyl Alcohol, Niacinamide, Polyacrylamide, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Stearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitic Acid, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Laureth-7, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylparaben, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Sodium Polyacrylate, Propylene Glycol, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Steareth-20, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Hydroxide, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Citrate, Morus Alba Leaf Extract, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Dipeptide-2, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-94, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-95, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbatePropylene 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 GlycolSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
