What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Sucrose
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Charcoal
Abrasive
Kaolin
Abrasive
Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningNelumbo Nucifera Extract
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract
AstringentCymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningMaranta Arundinacea Root Extract
SmoothingRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentSantalum Album Extract
CleansingMacrocystis Pyrifera Extract
Skin Conditioning
Nasturtium Officinale Extract
Perfuming
Aleurites Moluccanus Extract
AstringentLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantSucrose, Propylene Glycol, Charcoal, Kaolin, Musa Sapientum Fruit Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Maranta Arundinacea Root Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Santalum Album Extract, Macrocystis Pyrifera Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Aleurites Moluccanus Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Carbomer, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 77491
Reviews
Alternatives
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Phenoxyethanol 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 Phenoxyethanol
