What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzyl Benzoate
Antimicrobial
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer
HumectantHydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMannose
HumectantMethylparaben
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Propylparaben
Preservative
Pvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, P-Anisic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glyceryl Acrylate/Acrylic Acid Copolymer, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Mannose, Methylparaben, Parfum, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Sorbate, Propylparaben, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sorbic Acid, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Sophora Flavescens Root Extract
Antioxidant
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Halimeda Opuntia Extract
EmollientAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sclerotium Gum
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Triethanolamine
BufferingMethylparaben
Preservative
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Water, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Sophora Flavescens Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Halimeda Opuntia Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sclerotium Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Carbomer, Sodium Polyacrylate, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseMethylparaben is a preservative and is a paraben. It is used to prevent the growth of fungus, mold, and other harmful bacteria. Parabens are chemicals used as preservatives in both cosmetics and food.
Methylparaben can be synthetically created. It can also be found naturally in some fruits, such as blueberries.
Oftentimes, Methylparaben is combined with other parabens to help increase the shelf life.
The safety of Methylparaben is currently being studied. While ongoing studies are looking into the safety of parabens, the results have been very mixed. Some studies have not found Methylparaben to be harmful.
Learn more about MethylparabenPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilPropylene 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 GlycolSodium 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
