What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PPG-12
Skin ConditioningMethylal
SolventGlucose
Humectant
Ethyl Ether
SolventCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSqualane
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, PPG-12, Methylal, Glucose, Ethyl Ether, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Sodium Polyacrylate, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Propanediol, Polysorbate 60, Disodium EDTA, Sorbitan Isostearate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Dextrin Palmitate/Ethylhexanoate
Emulsifying
Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Helichrysum Italicum Flower Oil
Masking
Origanum Majorana Leaf Extract
AntiseborrhoeicAcmella Oleracea Extract
Skin ProtectingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPalmitic Acid
Emollient
Disodium EDTA
Cellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingAmodimethicone
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
CI 75130
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Isononyl Isononanoate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Dextrin Palmitate/Ethylhexanoate, Limnanthes Alba Seed Oil, Helichrysum Italicum Flower Oil, Origanum Majorana Leaf Extract, Acmella Oleracea Extract, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Adenosine, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Maltodextrin, Sodium Hydroxide, Palmitic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Cellulose Gum, Amodimethicone, Tocopherol, Parfum, CI 75130
Reviews
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 GlycerinLimnanthes Alba Seed Oil is the oil extracted from the seeds of the meadowfoam plant. This oil is non-fragrant and is an emollient. As an emollient, meadowfoam seed oil helps soften and hydrate the skin.
Meadowfoam seed oil is stable and has a long shelf life due to its chemical structure. It has the highest concentration of stable fatty-acids among plant oils, preventing it from degrading once exposed to oxygen.
Due to the fatty acid content, this ingredient may not be fungal-acne safe.
Meadowfoam is native to California and Oregon.
Learn more about Limnanthes Alba Seed OilPentylene glycol is typically used within a product to thicken it. It also adds a smooth, soft, and moisturizing feel to the product. It is naturally found in plants such as sugar beets.
The hydrophilic trait of Pentylene Glycol makes it a humectant. As a humectant, Pentylene Glycol helps draw moisture from the air to your skin. This can help keep your skin hydrated.
This property also makes Pentylene Glycol a great texture enhancer. It can also help thicken or stabilize a product.
Pentylene Glycol also acts as a mild preservative and helps to keep a product microbe-free.
Some people may experience mild eye and skin irritation from Pentylene Glycol. We always recommend speaking with a professional about using this ingredient in your routine.
Pentylene Glycol has a low molecular weight and is part of the 1,2-glycol family.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
