What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialButylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningPolysorbate 20
EmulsifyingTriethanolamine
BufferingPichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
AntimicrobialMalachite Extract
AntioxidantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeAsiaticoside
AntioxidantAsiatic Acid
Skin ConditioningMadecassic Acid
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingMenthol
MaskingWater, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Polysorbate 20, Triethanolamine, Pichia/Resveratrol Ferment Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Malachite Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Carbomer, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Menthol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
Nylon-12
Polysorbate 60
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingDimethiconol
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantDisodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Paraffinum Liquidum, Cetyl Alcohol, PEG-100 Stearate, Nylon-12, Polysorbate 60, Carbomer, Triethanolamine, Dimethiconol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Tocopheryl Acetate, CI 42090, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolCarbomer is a polymer of acrylic acid. Its main role is to create a gel consistency.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinSodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.
Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.
Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.
These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateTriethanolamine is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water