What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Vp/Va Copolymer
Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Alcohol Denat., Vp/Va Copolymer, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Panthenol, Cetrimonium Chloride, Sodium Cocoyl Amino Acids, Aminomethyl Propanol, Potassium Dimethicone PEG-7 Panthenyl Phosphate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Sarcosinate, Citric Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Water
Skin ConditioningVp/Va Copolymer
Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingPEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Salvia Sclarea Oil
Masking
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil
Masking
Cymbopogon Martini Oil
Masking
Sorbitol
Humectant
Bambusa Vulgaris Shoot Extract
Antioxidant
Dryopteris Filix-Mas Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLimonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Alcohol Denat., Water, Vp/Va Copolymer, Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Panthenol, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Salvia Sclarea Oil, Propylene Glycol, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Oil, Cymbopogon Martini Oil, Sorbitol, Bambusa Vulgaris Shoot Extract, Dryopteris Filix-Mas Leaf Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Limonene, Linalool
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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.Aminomethyl Propanol is used to adjust the pH of products. It is also used as a base to create other organic compounds. Having a balanced pH is important for protecting your skin.
Aminomethyl propanol is safe to use in cosmetics up to 1%. It is soluble in water.
We don't have a description for Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer yet.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolVP/VA Copolymer is a synthetic polymer made by joining two smaller molecules (vinylpyrrolidone and vinyl acetate) into a larger chain.
It is mainly used as a film-former and fixing agent. When a product dries, it creates a thin and flexible layer on the skin, hair, or nails. This film helps hold hairstyles into place, adds a smooth feel to skin, and traps moisture to reduce dryness.
Irritation is rare at normal concentrations and it doesn't penetrate deeply into skin.
Learn more about Vp/Va CopolymerWater. 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
