What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine Lactate
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Althaea Officinalis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Bambusa Vulgaris Shoot Extract
Antioxidant
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Urtica Dioica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Hydrolyzed Rice Protein
Skin ConditioningFumaric Acid
BufferingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phytic Acid
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Fructose
Humectant
Glucose
Humectant
Sucrose
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Menthol
Masking
Pinene
Masking
Camphor
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Beta-Caryophyllene
Masking
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine Lactate, Glycerin, Cetrimonium Chloride, Inulin, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride, Panthenol, Althaea Officinalis Root Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Shoot Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Urtica Dioica Root Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Rice Protein, Fumaric Acid, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Mentha Piperita Oil, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phytic Acid, Maltodextrin, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Phenoxyethanol, Menthol, Pinene, Camphor, Limonene, Beta-Caryophyllene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholPhenoxyethanol 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
