What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-7
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingCalcium Ascorbate
AntioxidantGlutamic Acid
HumectantArginine
MaskingLysine Hcl
Skin ConditioningAlanine
MaskingGlycine
BufferingProline
Skin ConditioningSerine
MaskingThreonine
Sodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlyceryl Cocoate
EmollientGlyceryl Laurate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAloe Barbadensis Extract
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmollientEssence
Water, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, PEG-7, Glycerin, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Calcium Ascorbate, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, Lysine Hcl, Alanine, Glycine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Cocoate, Glyceryl Laurate, Phenoxyethanol, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Disodium EDTA, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Essence
Water
Skin ConditioningPEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePoloxamer 407
EmulsifyingChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPEG-8
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
CleansingSodium PCA
HumectantSalicylic Acid
MaskingChamomilla Recutita Flower Water
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantCitric Acid
BufferingIsostearamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingTrideceth-9
EmulsifyingXylitylglucoside
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantDecylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPelargonium Graveolens Extract
MaskingBisabolol
Antioxidant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningCarthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
MaskingOlea Europaea Fruit Oil
MaskingWater, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Poloxamer 407, Chlorphenesin, PEG-8, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium PCA, Salicylic Acid, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Water, Hexylene Glycol, Capryloyl Glycine, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Citric Acid, Isostearamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trideceth-9, Xylitylglucoside, Propylene Glycol, Decylene Glycol, Pelargonium Graveolens Extract, Bisabolol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Propylene 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 GlycolWater. 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