What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
BHA
Antioxidant
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingLactic Acid
Buffering
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate
Emollient1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningMenthol
Masking
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Punica Granatum Pericarp Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Totarol
Antioxidant
Quaternium-73
Ethoxydiglycol, Azelaic Acid, Tetrahydroxypropyl Ethylenediamine, Water, Propanediol, BHA, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Butylene Glycol, Maltodextrin, Epilobium Angustifolium Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Menthol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Punica Granatum Pericarp Extract, Citric Acid, Totarol, Quaternium-73
Water
Skin ConditioningAzelaic Acid
Buffering
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Isododecane
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Phytosteryl Isostearate
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingCitrus Reticulata Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Totarol
Antioxidant
Water, Azelaic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Cyclopentasiloxane, Stearyl Alcohol, Isododecane, Squalane, C14-22 Alcohols, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Phytosteryl Isostearate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Citrus Reticulata Fruit Extract, Sodium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Xanthan Gum, Allantoin, Totarol
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.
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 preservatives
Azelaic acid is a multitasker ingredient that helps treat acne, pigmentation, and irritation. It is a great option for sensitive skin.
What makes it special?
OTC Azelaic acid is usually available in concentrations from 10-15% and anything over requires a prescription.
Here's what each tier does best:
Unlike other acids, azelaic acid will not make your skin more photosensitive/sun sensitive.
Though this ingredient is naturally occurring in grains like wheat, rye, and barley, it is usually synthetically created for cosmetics to ensure stability and effectiveness.
Learn more about Azelaic AcidButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneTotarol is an antioxidant.
Water. 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
