What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantHydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin Conditioning3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin ConditioningPPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSalicylic Acid
MaskingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingTocopheryl Acetate
AntioxidantLavandula Angustifolia Oil
MaskingDisodium EDTA
Adenosine
Skin ConditioningLinalool
PerfumingButylene Glycol
HumectantTocopherol
AntioxidantCitrus Aurantium Tachibana Peel Extract
HumectantPaeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingWater, Propylene Glycol, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30, Phenoxyethanol, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Potassium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Disodium EDTA, Adenosine, Linalool, Butylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Citrus Aurantium Tachibana Peel Extract, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPolymethyl Acrylate
Propylene Glycol
HumectantPvm/Ma Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGold
Cosmetic ColorantBetaine
HumectantTrehalose
HumectantSerine
MaskingTaurine
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantAcetyl Hexapeptide-8
HumectantAcetyl Tetrapeptide-5
HumectantAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
EmollientCladosiphon Okamuranus Extract
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantAroma
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Polymethyl Acrylate, Propylene Glycol, Pvm/Ma Copolymer, Gold, Betaine, Trehalose, Serine, Taurine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cladosiphon Okamuranus Extract, Carbomer, Potassium Hydroxide, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Aroma, CI 15985, CI 19140
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolDisodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcellulosePotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxidePropylene 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 GlycolWater. 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