What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingPropanediol
Solvent
PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
BHT
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Caprylhydroxamic Acid
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Zea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Beta-Carotene
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, PEG-20 Sorbitan Isostearate, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Triethylhexanoin, Propanediol, PPG-10 Methyl Glucose Ether, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Tocopherol, BHT, Disodium EDTA, Retinyl Palmitate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Caprylhydroxamic Acid, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Benzoic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Zea Mays Oil, Thioctic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Pentylene Glycol
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Snail Secretion Filtrate
Skin Conditioning
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Lecithin
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Snail Secretion Filtrate, Isopropyl Palmitate, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearic Acid, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Panthenol, Retinol, Symphytum Officinale Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Polysorbate 20, Alcohol, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil is a plant oil derived from the seeds of a sunflower.
It is rich in fatty acids, primarily linoleic acid and oleic acid. This gives it emollient and skin conditioning properties.
The reason this ingredient is so effective is because it forms a thin film on the skin that reduces transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while supplying linoleic acid to the stratum corneum to improve barrier strength.
The high linoleic acid content is particularly noteworthy for acne-prone skin.
Research suggests that acne-prone skin tends to be deficient in linoleic acid in sebum. Topical application may help replenish this to support a healthier follicular environment and less comedone-promoting sebum.
One randomized study found sunflower seed oil preserved skin barrier integrity in adult volunteers with and without atopic dermatitis (outperforming olive oil).
This ingredient is well-studied, gentle, and an effective emollient suitable for most skin types.
On fungal acne: This ingredient may not be Fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) safe. This is because it contains fatty acids with carbon chain lengths in the C11-C24 range.
Learn more about Helianthus Annuus Seed OilPentylene 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 Water
