What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantFulvic Acid
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventHypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin ProtectingSargassum Filipendula Extract
Skin ProtectingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSorbitol
HumectantAllantoin
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCitrus Paradisi Peel Oil
MaskingLactose
HumectantGelidiella Acerosa Extract
Skin ProtectingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhospholipids
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
MaskingCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
MaskingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingGlycine Soja Oil
EmollientMilk Protein
Skin ConditioningPolyglutamic Acid
Skin ConditioningEpilobium Angustifolium Extract
Skin ConditioningAgastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantGlycolipids
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlycine Soja Sterols
EmollientSodium Benzoate
MaskingSymphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingLavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
CleansingSodium Metabisulfite
AntioxidantCoumarin
PerfumingLimonene
PerfumingLinalool
PerfumingCitral
PerfumingEugenol
PerfumingWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Glycerin, Fulvic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Sargassum Filipendula Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sorbitol, Allantoin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Panthenol, Sodium Hydroxide, Caprylyl Glycol, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Lactose, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phospholipids, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Hexylene Glycol, Glycine Soja Oil, Milk Protein, Polyglutamic Acid, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Tocopherol, Glycolipids, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycine Soja Sterols, Sodium Benzoate, Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Sodium Metabisulfite, Coumarin, Limonene, Linalool, Citral, Eugenol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Pentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum