What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Sucrose Palmitate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Cetearyl Olivate
Hydrogenated Olive Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Isomalt
HumectantCitrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer
Skin Conditioning
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Pullulan
Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Steareth-20
CleansingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate
Emulsion StabilisingMalus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningTetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Polyacrylamide
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Benzoate
Masking
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone
Antioxidant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycine Soja Sterols
Emollient
Linoleic Acid
Cleansing
Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract
HumectantPhospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingFarnesol
Perfuming
Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingSodium Citrate
BufferingChlorhexidine Digluconate
Antimicrobial
Lecithin
Emollient
Echinacea Angustifolia Extract
MoisturisingN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningDipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Fruit Cell Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Dipeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Argania Spinosa Callus Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningCitral
Perfuming
Darutoside
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Chrysin
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Octapeptide-3
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicWater, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sucrose Palmitate, Dimethicone, Cetearyl Olivate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Sorbitan Olivate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Isomalt, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Limonene, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Bisabolol, Brassica Campestris/Aleurites Fordi Oil Copolymer, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Pullulan, Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Steareth-20, Allantoin, Sodium Polystyrene Sulfonate, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Polyacrylamide, Carbomer, Sodium Benzoate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Ethylhexylglycerin, Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Extract, Glycine Soja Sterols, Linoleic Acid, Nannochloropsis Oculata Extract, Phospholipids, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Xanthan Gum, Farnesol, Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture, Sodium Hydroxide, Laureth-7, Sodium Citrate, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Lecithin, Echinacea Angustifolia Extract, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Cell Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Dipeptide-2, Argania Spinosa Callus Culture Extract, Citral, Darutoside, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tocopherol, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Octapeptide-3, Biotin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
