What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantCetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientStearamidopropyl Dimethylamine
EmulsifyingCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Glutamic Acid
Humectant
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Mentha Piperita Oil
Masking
Menthol
Masking
Illicium Verum Fruit/Seed Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Juniperus Virginiana Oil
Masking
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantPinus Densiflora Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil
Masking
Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Ocimum Basilicum Oil
Masking
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Viola Odorata Leaf Extract
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Cetyl Alcohol, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Stearamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Glutamic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Mentha Piperita Oil, Menthol, Illicium Verum Fruit/Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Juniperus Virginiana Oil, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Pinus Densiflora Leaf Extract, Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Ocimum Basilicum Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Viola Odorata Leaf Extract, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
Smoothing
Betaine
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTromethamine
BufferingAmmonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Prunus Yedoensis Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
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.Â
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 preservativesÂ
Dipropylene Glycol is a synthetically created humectant, stabilizer, and solvent.
This ingredient helps:
Dipropylene glycol is technically an alcohol, but it belongs to the glycol family (often considered part of the ‘good’ alcohols). This means it is hydrating and gentle on skin unlike drying solvent alcohols like denatured alcohol.
As a masking agent, Dipropylene Glycol can be used to cover the smell of other ingredients. However, it does not have a scent.
Studies show Dipropylene Glycol is considered safe to use in skincare.
Learn more about Dipropylene 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
