What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCitric Acid
Buffering
Dimethicone PEG-7 Phosphate
Cleansing
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentEthylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Disodium EDTA
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSucrose Palmitate
EmollientCetrimonium Bromide
Antimicrobial
Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningButyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Salvia Sclarea Extract
AntiseborrhoeicGlyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate
Skin ProtectingPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAlteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Potassium Chloride
Calcium Chloride
AstringentPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Magnesium Sulfate
Glutamine
Skin ConditioningSodium Phosphate
BufferingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sodium Acetate
BufferingTris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate
StabilisingLysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Arginine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAlanine
Masking
Histidine Hcl
Skin ConditioningValine
MaskingLeucine
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Isoleucine
Skin ConditioningTryptophan
MaskingPhenylalanine
Masking
Tyrosine
MaskingGlycine
Buffering
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Serine
Masking
Cystine
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningGlutathione
Asparagine
MaskingAspartic Acid
Masking
Ornithine Hcl
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Methionine
Skin ConditioningTaurine
BufferingHydroxyproline
Skin ConditioningGlucosamine Hcl
Coenzyme A
Skin ConditioningCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Glucuronate
HumectantThiamine Diphosphate
Skin ConditioningRetinyl Acetate
Skin Conditioning
Inositol
Humectant
Niacin
SmoothingNiacinamide
Smoothing
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCalcium Pantothenate
Riboflavin
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Thiamine Hcl
MaskingFolic Acid
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Capryloyl Glycine, Citric Acid, Dimethicone PEG-7 Phosphate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Disodium EDTA, Parfum, Sodium Chloride, Sucrose Palmitate, Cetrimonium Bromide, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Salvia Sclarea Extract, Glyceryl Linoleate, Diethylhexyl Syringylidenemalonate, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Glucose, Cyamopsis Tetragonoloba Gum, Xanthan Gum, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Magnesium Sulfate, Glutamine, Sodium Phosphate, Alcohol, Ascorbic Acid, Sodium Acetate, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate, Lysine Hcl, Arginine Hcl, Alanine, Histidine Hcl, Valine, Leucine, Threonine, Isoleucine, Tryptophan, Phenylalanine, Tyrosine, Glycine, Polysorbate 80, Serine, Cystine, Cyanocobalamin, Glutathione, Asparagine, Aspartic Acid, Ornithine Hcl, Glutamic Acid, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide, Tocopherol, Proline, Methionine, Taurine, Hydroxyproline, Glucosamine Hcl, Coenzyme A, CI 17200, Sodium Glucuronate, Thiamine Diphosphate, Retinyl Acetate, Inositol, Niacin, Niacinamide, Pyridoxine Hcl, Biotin, Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Thiamine Hcl, Folic Acid
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 GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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
