What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Alpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Phytic Acid
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
Humectant
4-Butylresorcinol
Antioxidant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Palmitoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningUndecylenoyl Phenylalanine
Skin Conditioning
Kojic Acid
Antioxidant
Acetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Farnesol
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water
Skin Conditioning
Arisaema Amurense Extract
Skin ConditioningBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
UV AbsorberArginine
Masking
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Hexapeptide-2
Bleaching
Glabridin
BleachingLactic Acid
Buffering
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract
Skin ConditioningPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingAminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Linalool
Perfuming
Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tyrosine
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPolyacrylamide
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Lauryl Glucoside
CleansingC15-19 Alkane
SolventSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingTetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Hydrosulfite
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentCitric Acid
Buffering
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Sulfite
Preservative
Water, Niacinamide, Cyclopentasiloxane, Tranexamic Acid, Alpha-Arbutin, Phytic Acid, Dipropylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, 4-Butylresorcinol, Glycerin, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Undecylenoyl Phenylalanine, Kojic Acid, Acetyl Glucosamine, Allantoin, Farnesol, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water, Arisaema Amurense Extract, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Arginine, Bisabolol, Hexapeptide-2, Glabridin, Lactic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Aminopropyl Ascorbyl Phosphate, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Linalool, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetyl Tyrosine, Glutathione, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract, Polyacrylamide, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Lauryl Glucoside, C15-19 Alkane, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hydrosulfite, Laureth-7, Ethylhexylglycerin, Dextrin, Citric Acid, Decyl Glucoside, 1,2-Hexanediol, Lecithin, Sodium Sulfite
Water
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Diisopropyl Adipate
EmollientLecithin
Emollient
Acrylic Acid/Acrylamidomethyl Propane Sulfonic Acid Copolymer
Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingDimethyl Isosorbide
SolventTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Melanin
Skin ProtectingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingFerulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Water, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Diisopropyl Adipate, Lecithin, Acrylic Acid/Acrylamidomethyl Propane Sulfonic Acid Copolymer, Dimethylmethoxy Chromanol, Glyceryl Caprylate, Xanthan Gum, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Pod Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Helianthus Annuus Sprout Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-400, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tocopheryl Acetate, Melanin, Pentylene Glycol, Polyglutamic Acid, Carbomer, Ferulic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 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 LecithinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium 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
