What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
CleansingNeopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate
EmollientCetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin)
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantCyclomethicone
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Polyacrylate-13
Polyisobutene
Polysorbate 20
EmulsifyingCetearyl Alcohol
EmollientCetearyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingDimethicone
EmollientTrehalose
HumectantTheobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Triethanolamine
BufferingCoptis Japonica Extract
AntimicrobialAdenosine
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantHydrolyzed Extensin
Skin ConditioningRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningBiosaccharide Gum-1
HumectantIris Ensata Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Water, Stearic Acid, Neopentyl Glycol Diheptanoate, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Hydrogenated Poly(C6-14 Olefin), Glycerin, Cyclomethicone, Butylene Glycol, Copper Tripeptide-1, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Polyacrylate-13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Dimethicone, Trehalose, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Triethanolamine, Coptis Japonica Extract, Adenosine, Propylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Extensin, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Beta-Glucan, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Iris Ensata Extract, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Seed Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Disodium EDTA
Reviews
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 GlycerinPropylene 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 GlycolTriethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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