What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Azeloyl Diglycinate
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
1,5-Pentanediol
SolventSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Hyaluronate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCeramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingTranexamic Acid
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
1,2-Butanediol
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Trehalose
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Punica Granatum Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Disodium EDTA
CI 16255
Cosmetic ColorantAlpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Lactobacillus Ferment Filtrate
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Potassium Azeloyl Diglycinate, Niacinamide, 1,5-Pentanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Hydroxypropyltrimonium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Ceramide EOP, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide NP, Ceramide As, Ceramide AP, Cholesterol, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Tranexamic Acid, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, 1,2-Butanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Allantoin, Trehalose, Carbomer, DMDM Hydantoin, Titanium Dioxide, Punica Granatum Fruit Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Disodium EDTA, CI 16255, Alpha-Arbutin, Parfum, Lactobacillus Ferment Filtrate, 1,2-Hexanediol
Water
Skin ConditioningArtemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Phytate
Water, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Caprylyl Methicone, Dipropylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Panthenol, C30-45 Alkyl Cetearyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Xanthan Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Phytate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
