What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
No benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Isoamyl Laurate
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningAnanas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Phytate
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Lecithin
Emollient
Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Parfum
Masking
Butylphenyl Methylpropional
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Isoamyl Laurate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Glucoside, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Phytate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate, Butylene Glycol, Lecithin, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Octocrylene, Parfum, Butylphenyl Methylpropional, Hexyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool
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 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 Phenoxyethanol
