What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Gluconolactone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Dextran Sulfate
Gel Forming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Citric Acid
Buffering
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Citrate
BufferingP-Anisic Acid
Masking
Disodium EDTA
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantTocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Gluconolactone, Dimethicone/PEG-10/15 Crosspolymer, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Dextran Sulfate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Citrate, P-Anisic Acid, Disodium EDTA, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Adenosine, Dipropylene Glycol, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Sodium Ascorbyl Glucoside
Humectant
Bis-PEG/PPG-20/5 PEG/PPG-20/5 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Methoxy PEG/PPG-25/4 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sh-Polypeptide-7
Antiseborrhoeic
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Phosphate
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Glucosamine Hcl
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Portulaca Oleracea Extract
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Elaeis Guineensis Oil
Emollient
Tocotrienols
Skin Conditioning
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningBambusa Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
C12-13 Pareth-23
CleansingC12-13 Pareth-3
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingProtease
Exfoliating
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Divinyldimethicone/Dimethicone Copolymer, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Propanediol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Sodium Ascorbyl Glucoside, Bis-PEG/PPG-20/5 PEG/PPG-20/5 Dimethicone, Methoxy PEG/PPG-25/4 Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate, Sh-Polypeptide-7, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Dimethiconol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glucosamine Hcl, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Butylene Glycol, Elaeis Guineensis Oil, Tocotrienols, Pisum Sativum Extract, Bambusa Vulgaris Extract, C12-13 Pareth-23, C12-13 Pareth-3, Tocopherol, Xanthan Gum, Protease, Sodium Hydroxide, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Maltodextrin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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.
Propanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium 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 HydroxideTocopherol 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
