What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-7
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Calcium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Arginine
Masking
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Alanine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Serine
Masking
Threonine
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glyceryl Cocoate
Emollient
Glyceryl Laurate
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Aloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Essence
Water, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, PEG-7, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Calcium Ascorbate, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, Lysine Hcl, Alanine, Glycine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Cocoate, Glyceryl Laurate, Phenoxyethanol, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Essence
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 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.
Propylene 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
