What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialDicaprylyl Ether
EmollientZea Mays Starch
AbsorbentCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingPolyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate
EmulsifyingStearyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientPinus Pinaster Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Phytate
Caprylyl Glycol
EmollientMaltodextrin
AbsorbentXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopherol
AntioxidantSalicylic Acid
MaskingLinalool
PerfumingGeraniol
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingBenzyl Alcohol
PerfumingBenzyl Salicylate
PerfumingParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Dicaprylyl Ether, Zea Mays Starch, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polyglyceryl-3 Methylglucose Distearate, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycine Soja Oil, Pinus Pinaster Leaf Extract, Carbomer, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Phytate, Caprylyl Glycol, Maltodextrin, Xanthan Gum, Tocopherol, Salicylic Acid, Linalool, Geraniol, Limonene, Citral, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Salicylate, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientSodium Hydroxide
BufferingAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSyringa Vulgaris Leaf Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Metabisulfite
AntioxidantLonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningSantalum Austrocaledonicum Wood Oil
MaskingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Hamamelis Virginiana Water
AstringentLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingRosa Damascena Flower Oil
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingLonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
PerfumingCananga Odorata Flower Oil
MaskingChlorophyllin-Copper Complex
AntioxidantTotarol
AntioxidantAcetyl Tributyl Citrate
MaskingAlcohol
AntimicrobialCinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingPhenyl T-Butylnitrone
AntioxidantWater, Glycerin, Carbomer, Maltodextrin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Hydroxide, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Potassium Sorbate, Syringa Vulgaris Leaf Cell Culture Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Santalum Austrocaledonicum Wood Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil, Citric Acid, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Cananga Odorata Flower Oil, Chlorophyllin-Copper Complex, Totarol, Acetyl Tributyl Citrate, Alcohol, Cinnamomum Camphora Bark Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Phenyl T-Butylnitrone
Reviews
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.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
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 if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
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.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinMaltodextrin is a polysaccharide. It is derived from starch such as rice, corn, wheat, or potato starch.
In food, Maltodextrin is used to improve the texture and thicken a product. Due to its structure, it can help create a gel texture. As an emulsion stabilizer, it helps keep the ingredients in a product together.
As a polysaccharide, Maltodextrin has moisturizing properties. Polysaccharides are a type of carbohydrate. The top layer of skin uses polysaccharides to retain water, keeping the skin hydrated.
Maltodextrin is water soluble and has a sweet taste.
Learn more about MaltodextrinSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water