What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingPullulan
Squalane
EmollientCopper Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningSr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1
HumectantPunica Granatum Seed Oil
EmollientPunica Granatum Fruit Extract
AntioxidantHyaluronic Acid
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantLactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract
AntioxidantElastin
Skin ConditioningBidens Pilosa Extract
HumectantLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
PerfumingEnteromorpha Compressa Extract
Skin ProtectingEngelhardtia Chrysolepis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningSilybum Marianum Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningLeuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate
AntimicrobialGossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningDilauryl Citrate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-4 Laurate
EmulsifyingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingRhizobian Gum
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
EmollientPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Sorbitan Laurate
EmulsifyingGlucomannan
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativePotassium Sorbate
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingParfum
MaskingWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Acacia Senegal Gum, Pullulan, Squalane, Copper Tripeptide-1, Sr-Hydrozoan Polypeptide-1, Punica Granatum Seed Oil, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Lactobacillus/Punica Granatum Fruit Ferment Extract, Elastin, Bidens Pilosa Extract, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Engelhardtia Chrysolepis Leaf Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Leuconostoc/Radish Root Ferment Filtrate, Gossypium Herbaceum Seed Oil, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Trihydroxystearin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Dilauryl Citrate, Polyglyceryl-4 Laurate, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Rhizobian Gum, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Sorbitan Laurate, Glucomannan, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPEG-8 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingTripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Hexapeptide-12
Skin ConditioningMyristoyl Hexapeptide-16
Skin ConditioningMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin ConditioningHexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate
Skin ConditioningAzelaoyl Bis-Dipeptide-10
Skin ConditioningGlycoproteins
Skin ConditioningPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningAdenosine
Skin ConditioningDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantArginine
MaskingValine
MaskingGlycine
BufferingAlanine
MaskingGlutamic Acid
HumectantSerine
MaskingThreonine
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningHistidine
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingPCA
HumectantPhytic Acid
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientSodium PCA
HumectantPsidium Guajava Fruit Extract
AstringentEuterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract
Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract
Skin ConditioningDextran
Hydrolyzed Silk
HumectantLecithin
EmollientGlyceryl Polymethacrylate
C12-16 Pareth-9
EmulsifyingTrideceth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Lactate
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAspartic Acid
MaskingPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingButylene Glycol
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientPEG-8
HumectantC11-15 Pareth-7
EmulsifyingGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningEctoin
Skin ConditioningCitrate Buffer
Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, PEG-8 Dimethicone, Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-12, Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate, Azelaoyl Bis-Dipeptide-10, Glycoproteins, Phospholipids, Adenosine, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Arginine, Valine, Glycine, Alanine, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Threonine, Yeast Extract, Isoleucine, Proline, Histidine, Phenylalanine, PCA, Phytic Acid, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium PCA, Psidium Guajava Fruit Extract, Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract, Dextran, Hydrolyzed Silk, Lecithin, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, C12-16 Pareth-9, Trideceth-12, Sodium Lactate, Carbomer, Aspartic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-8, C11-15 Pareth-7, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Ectoin, Citrate Buffer, Trimethylsiloxyamodimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolSodium 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