What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSuccinic Acid
BufferingGlycerin
Humectant
Mandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Actinidia Deliciosa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningOpuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin Conditioning
Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract
Skin ConditioningOphiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrehalose
Humectant
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Menthyl Lactate
Masking
Aroma
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Salicylic Acid, Carbomer, Succinic Acid, Glycerin, Mandelic Acid, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Actinidia Deliciosa Fruit Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Sophora Angustifolia Root Extract, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Sodium Hydroxide, Trehalose, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Menthyl Lactate, Aroma, Dipropylene Glycol, CI 19140, Ethylhexylglycerin, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Erythritol
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Glutathione
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethylene Glycol
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Niacinamide, Erythritol, Propylene Glycol, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Glutathione, Propanediol, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolSodium 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. Remember to stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
