What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Sodium Chloride
Masking1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Illicium Verum Fruit Extract
Perfuming
Disodium EDTA
Hamamelis Virginiana Extract
Antiseborrhoeic
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Leontopodium Alpinum Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cellulose
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Juniperus Mexicana Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides
Emollient
Phoenix Dactylifera Seed
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lactose
HumectantHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Mannitol
Humectant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
PEG-800
HumectantBromelain
Skin Conditioning
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Oligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-22
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-45
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-8
Humectant
Sh-Polypeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
CI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cellulose, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Dipropylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Ceteareth-12, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides, Phoenix Dactylifera Seed, 1,2-Hexanediol, Triethanolamine, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Jojoba Esters, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Mannitol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol, PEG-800, Bromelain, Papain, Ascorbic Acid, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-22, Sh-Polypeptide-45, Sh-Polypeptide-8, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, CI 77007
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
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.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 GlycolCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolWater. 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
