What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
SolventPEG-32
HumectantTriethyl Citrate
Masking
Methyl Gluceth-10
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDiethoxyethyl Succinate
SolventPEG-75
HumectantMaltooligosyl Glucoside
Skin ConditioningDisodium Succinate
MaskingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingLactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningViscum Album Leaf Extract
SoothingSuccinic Acid
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
C12-13 Alkyl Glyceryl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide
AbsorbentSilica
Abrasive
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Pentylene Glycol, PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, PEG-32, Triethyl Citrate, Methyl Gluceth-10, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Trehalose, Hydroxyacetophenone, Carbomer, Diethoxyethyl Succinate, PEG-75, Maltooligosyl Glucoside, Disodium Succinate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Potassium Hydroxide, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Viscum Album Leaf Extract, Succinic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Imperata Cylindrica Root Extract, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, C12-13 Alkyl Glyceryl Hydrolyzed Hyaluronate, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Copper Tripeptide-1, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Lactococcus/Hyaluronic Acid Ferment Filtrate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Aphanothece Sacrum Polysaccharide, Silica
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Laminaria Japonica Extract
Skin Protecting
Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningOryza Sativa Bran Extract
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract
Skin ConditioningUlmus Davidiana Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Diphenyl Dimethicone
Emollient
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingOctyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingPolyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Betaine
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingHydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Sucrose
Humectant
Fructooligosaccharides
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium DNA
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningLinalool
Perfuming
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Dioscorea Japonica Root Extract, Laminaria Japonica Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Leaf Extract, Oryza Sativa Bran Extract, Oryza Sativa Extract, Lepidium Meyenii Root Extract, Ulmus Davidiana Root Extract, Amaranthus Caudatus Seed Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Diphenyl Dimethicone, Triethylhexanoin, Octyldodeceth-16, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Betaine, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tromethamine, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Adenosine, Beta-Glucan, Disodium EDTA, Sucrose, Fructooligosaccharides, Maltodextrin, Sodium DNA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Linalool
Reviews
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
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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenonePentylene 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 GlycolWater. 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
