What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningStearic Acid
Cleansing
Zea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingUsnea Barbata Extract
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil
Masking
Arnica Montana Flower Extract
Masking
Coriandrum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrastis Canadensis Extract
MaskingSalvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Propylene Glycol, Water, Stearic Acid, Zea Mays Starch, Cyclopentasiloxane, Silica, Sodium Hydroxide, Usnea Barbata Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Carthamus Tinctorius Seed Oil, Arnica Montana Flower Extract, Coriandrum Sativum Extract, Hydrastis Canadensis Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Propylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolSodium 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 HydroxideStearic Acid is a fatty acid that is already found in your skin. It's one of the free fatty acids that works alongside ceramides and cholesterols to maintain your barrier.
In cosmetics, it is a multitasker:
Safety-wise, the CIR Expert Panel has concluded it to be safe in cosmetics when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
Free stearic acid is a C18 fatty acid that the Malassezia yeast can substrate, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Stearic AcidWater. 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
