What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingMandelic Acid
Antimicrobial
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate
Emulsifying
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Decyl Glucoside, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Mandelic Acid, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Symphytum Officinale Rhizome/Root Extract, Tocopherol, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, PEG-18 Glyceryl Oleate/Cocoate, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinHexylene Glycol is a multitasker ingredient that works as a solvent, humectant, emulsifier, viscosity reducer, and preservative booster.
It is able to dissolve both water and oil-soluble ingredients to stabilize tricky actives and make products spread more easily.
As a humectant, it pulls water into the skin. But it's a pretty minor moisturizing ingredient compared to other humectants, like glycerin.
Interestingly, it can act as a mild penetration enhancer. One in vitro study on human skin found a 12% concentration upped the absorption of mometasone furoate (a medicinal ingredient used to treat inflammatory skin conditions) up to 7%.
This ingredient is typically used at levels of 0.1-10% depending on the role it's playing.
A patch test study on eczema patients didn't find a significant increase in irritation versus the control group, but the potential for irritation rises at higher concentrations.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 Phenoxyethanol
