What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether
StabilisingPPG-17-Buteth-17
Skin ConditioningTriethylhexanoin
MaskingPEG-8
HumectantSorbitol
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Inositol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingBeheneth-30
CleansingPolyacrylate Crosspolymer-11
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Laurate
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingWater, Dipropylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, PEG-240/Hdi Copolymer Bis-Decyltetradeceth-20 Ether, PPG-17-Buteth-17, Triethylhexanoin, PEG-8, Sorbitol, Polysorbate 60, Inositol, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Sodium Citrate, Beheneth-30, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-11, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Laurate, Tocopherol, Alcohol Denat., Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Chloride
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Diglycerin
Humectant
PEG-240
HumectantSodium Chloride
MaskingGellan Gum
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Aspartic Acid
Masking
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract
Perfuming
PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether
Skin ConditioningSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Methionine
Skin ConditioningSoluble Collagen
Humectant
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Metaphosphate
BufferingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Alanine
Masking
BHT
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Diglycerin, PEG-240, Sodium Chloride, Gellan Gum, Polyquaternium-51, Glutamic Acid, Aspartic Acid, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Extract, PEG/PPG-14/7 Dimethyl Ether, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Methionine, Soluble Collagen, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Metaphosphate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Alcohol Denat., Potassium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Metabisulfite, Alanine, BHT, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.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 GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene GlycolGlycerin (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.
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate is a type of Hyaluronic Acid.
Hyaluronic Acids help moisturize, soothe, and protect the skin.
Read about common types of Hyaluronic Acid here:
Learn more about Sodium Acetylated HyaluronateChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium Citrate is the sodium salts of citric acid. In skincare, it is used to alter pH levels and acts as a preservative.
Its main functions are to maintain the pH of a product and neutralize metal ions.
The acidity of our skin is maintained by our glands and skin biome; normal pH level of skin is slightly acidic (~4.75-5.5).
Being slightly acidic allows our skin to create an "acid mantle". This acid mantle is a thin barrier that protects our skin from bacteria and contaminants.
Learn more about Sodium CitrateSodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
