What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Potassium Myristoyl Glutamate
CleansingGlycol Stearate
Emollient
PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Coceth Sulfate
Cleansing
Parfum
Masking
Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningLeontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningLythrum Salicaria Extract
AstringentDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Decyl Glucoside, Potassium Myristoyl Glutamate, Glycol Stearate, PEG-40 Glyceryl Cocoate, Citric Acid, Sodium PCA, Sodium Coceth Sulfate, Parfum, Passiflora Incarnata Flower Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Extract, Lythrum Salicaria Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Caffeine, Trehalose, Sucrose, Urea, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Phenoxyethanol
Water
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer
Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water
Skin Conditioning
Mentha Viridis Leaf Extract
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Acrylates/Steareth-20 Methacrylate Copolymer, Disodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glycerin, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Water, Mentha Viridis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrolyzed Rhodophyceae Extract, Caffeine, Butylene Glycol, Gluconolactone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolCaffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
