What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Tetrasodium EDTA
Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Allantoin, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Lactic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hamamelis Virginiana Leaf Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Wine Extract
Antioxidant
Rose Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Nelumbo Nucifera Root Water
TonicAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sucrose
Humectant
Mineral Salts
Skin ConditioningCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingCaprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tetrasodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Butyloctanoic Acid
CleansingHexylene Glycol
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Wine Extract, Rose Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Root Water, Allantoin, Potassium Sorbate, Sucrose, Mineral Salts, Coco-Glucoside, Capryloyl Glycine, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Caprylyl Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Dehydroacetic Acid, Butyloctanoic Acid, Hexylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol
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
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinCaprylyl 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 or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbatePropylene 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 GlycolTetrasodium EDTA is the salt formed from neutralizing ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with sodium hydroxide. It is a chelating agent and used to prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps keep the product and ingredients stable.
Tetrasodium EDTA comes as a white solid and is soluble in water.
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract comes from the grape vine. Grape seeds are a byproduct of creating grape juice or wine.
The components of grape seeds have many skin benefits. Research has found it to be antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. It also contains many potent antioxidants such as Vitamin E , Vitamin C, proanthocyanidins, polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins. Proanthocyanidin has been shown to help even out skin tone.
Antioxidants help fight free-radical molecules. Free-radical molecules are capable of damaging our cells and other genetic material. Antioxidants help stabilize free-radicals by donating extra electrons. Grape seed extract may help reduce the signs of aging.
The antimicrobial properties of grape seed may help treat acne. However, more research is needed to support this claim.
Grape seed has also been found to help absorb UV rays. Grape seed extract should not replace your sunscreen.
Learn more about Vitis Vinifera Seed ExtractWater. 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
