What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantDisodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingBetaine
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Glycolate
BufferingDMDM Hydantoin
PreservativeAllantoin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium EDTA
Citric Acid
BufferingGlycerin
HumectantCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingPropylene Glycol
HumectantPanthenol
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
HumectantPyridoxine
Skin ConditioningThiamine Hcl
MaskingHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantBioflavonoids
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Menadione
MaskingRiboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantWater, Butylene Glycol, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Betaine, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Glycolate, DMDM Hydantoin, Allantoin, Tetrasodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Propylene Glycol, Panthenol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Pyridoxine, Thiamine Hcl, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ascorbic Acid, Bioflavonoids, Biotin, Cyanocobalamin, Folic Acid, Glutathione, Menadione, Riboflavin, Tocopheryl Acetate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideWater. 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