What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningDibutyl Adipate
EmollientAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
UV Filter
Ethylhexyl Triazone
UV Absorber
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientBis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Wax
Skin Conditioning
Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone
UV Absorber
Hydrogenated Dimer Dilinoleyl/Dimethylcarbonate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydrogenated Castor Oil
Emollient
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentGlycerin
Humectant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer
Disodium Cetearyl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Undecane
EmollientCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingTridecane
Perfuming
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Acacia Senegal Gum
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCoco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate
CleansingSodium Citrate
BufferingWater, Dibutyl Adipate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate, Ethylhexyl Triazone, Dicaprylyl Ether, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Oryza Sativa Bran Wax, Diethylhexyl Butamido Triazone, Hydrogenated Dimer Dilinoleyl/Dimethylcarbonate Copolymer, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Glycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Acrylates/C12-22 Alkyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Disodium Cetearyl Sulfosuccinate, Phenoxyethanol, Undecane, Cellulose Gum, Tridecane, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Arginine, Acacia Senegal Gum, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Xanthan Gum, Coco-Glucoside, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sorbic Acid, Disodium Lauryl Sulfosuccinate, Sodium Citrate
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
