What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Ether
Emollient
Cetyl Esters
Emollient
Behentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Sh-Oligopeptide-78
Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Wheat Starch
Skin ConditioningIsopropyl Alcohol
Solvent
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Geraniol
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Hexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Water, Alcohol Denat., Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicaprylyl Ether, Cetyl Esters, Behentrimonium Chloride, Polysorbate 20, Sh-Oligopeptide-78, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Starch, Isopropyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Parfum, Geraniol, Linalool, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol
Water
Skin ConditioningAcetic Acid
BufferingSilicone Quaternium-8
Cetrimonium Chloride
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Rapeseedamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate
Polyacrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Taraxacum Officinale Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSpathodea Campanulata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningArgania Spinosa Kernel Oil
Emollient
Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate Dimethicone
Polyquaternium-55
Propanediol
Solvent
Quaternium-96
CleansingDipropylene Glycol
HumectantTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Disodium EDTA
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sorbic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Acetic Acid, Silicone Quaternium-8, Cetrimonium Chloride, Glycerin, Rapeseedamidopropyl Ethyldimonium Ethosulfate, Polyacrylamidopropyltrimonium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein Pg-Propyl Silanetriol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Root Extract, Spathodea Campanulata Flower Extract, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Macadamia Integrifolia Seed Oil, Tocopherol, Linoleamidopropyl Pg-Dimonium Chloride Phosphate Dimethicone, Polyquaternium-55, Propanediol, Quaternium-96, Dipropylene Glycol, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Disodium EDTA, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Benzyl Alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateTocopherol 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
