What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingDextrin
AbsorbentArtemisia Princeps Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Japonica Flower Extract
EmollientGanoderma Lucidum Extract
Skin Protecting
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Saccharomyces/Xylinum/Black Tea Ferment, 1,2-Hexanediol, Sodium Chloride, Hydroxyacetophenone, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Disodium EDTA, Cellulose Gum, Dextrin, Artemisia Princeps Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Ganoderma Lucidum Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Salix Alba Bark Extract
Astringent
Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPinus Palustris Leaf Extract
TonicUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract
AstringentPueraria Lobata Root Extract
HumectantWater, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Butylene Glycol, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Beta-Glucan, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Salix Alba Bark Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Pinus Palustris Leaf Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Oenothera Biennis Flower Extract, Pueraria Lobata Root Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer is a synthetically created polymer. It's used as a film-forming agent and used to thicken the consistency of products.
Think of it as a supportive ingredient that helps your gel-creams feel silky, "cloud cream-like", and spread evenly without being greasy.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel evaluated it (along with 22 other acryloyldimethyltaurate polymers) and concluded it's:
Due to its large molecular size, it sits on the surface of skin rather than penetrating it.
Learn more about Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp CopolymerButylene 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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid is hyaluronic acid (HA) that is broken down into lower molecular weight fragments.
It's a humectant that pulls and holds water in the skin to help with hydration, plumpness, and reduce transepidermal water loss.
Because hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid is smaller in size, it can slip past your outermost layer of skin more easily than full-sized HA.
Most formulations will combine all sizes to get the best of both worlds.
Typical usage levels range from 0.01-1%. Any percentage higher than 2% might become goopy and tacky.
Learn more about Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic AcidHydroxyacetophenone 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 HydroxyacetophenoneWater. 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
