What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract
Emollient
Lactobacillus Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
PEG-20 Stearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Triethanolamine
BufferingPolyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Cetearyl Olivate
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingNonapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Salvia Hispanica Seed Extract, Lactobacillus Ferment, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Betaine, PEG-100 Stearate, PEG-20 Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Triethanolamine, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Chlorphenesin, Parfum, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Laureth-7, Nonapeptide-1, Papain, Beta-Glucan, Butylene Glycol, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Polysorbate 20, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingDecyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Sulfate
Propylene Glycol Laurate
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Methyl Cocoate
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamide Mea, Sodium Chloride, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Squalane, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Decyl Glucoside, Sodium Sulfate, Propylene Glycol Laurate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Methyl Cocoate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Chlorphenesin is a synthetic preservative. It helps protect a product against bacteria in order to extend shelf life. In most cases, Chlorphenesin is paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol and caprylyl glycol.
Chlorphenesin is a biocide. This means it is able to help fight the microorganisms on our skin. It is also able to fight odor-releasing bacteria.
Chlorphenesin is soluble in both water and glycerin.
Studies show Chlorphenesin is easily absorbed by our skin. You should speak with a skincare professional if you have concerns about using Chlorphenesin.
Learn more about ChlorphenesinGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePhenoxyethanol 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 Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
