What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Metabisulfite
Antioxidant
Larix Europaea Wood Extract
HumectantGlycine
Buffering
Zinc Chloride
AntimicrobialCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Cucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialSerenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCurcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPinus Pinaster Bark Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Phytate
Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Metabisulfite, Larix Europaea Wood Extract, Glycine, Zinc Chloride, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Phospholipids, Caffeine, Emblica Officinalis Fruit Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Cucurbita Pepo Cotyledon Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Serenoa Serrulata Fruit Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Panthenol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract, Sodium Phytate
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dextran
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentPPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Apigenin
Antioxidant
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningBiotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Glycerin
Humectant
Pisum Sativum Sprout Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ocimum Basilicum Hairy Root Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ferulic Acid
Antimicrobial
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingPiroctone Olamine
Preservative
Sodium Phytate
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment
Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment
Skin Conditioning
Water, Propanediol, Ascorbic Acid, Phospholipids, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Butylene Glycol, Dextran, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Apigenin, Oleanolic Acid, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Glycerin, Pisum Sativum Sprout Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Oryza Sativa Extract, Panthenol, Ocimum Basilicum Hairy Root Culture Extract, Alcohol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tocopheryl Acetate, Bisabolol, Ferulic Acid, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Piroctone Olamine, Sodium Phytate, Resveratrol, Saccharomyces/Zinc Ferment, Saccharomyces/Copper Ferment, Saccharomyces/Magnesium Ferment, Saccharomyces/Iron Ferment, Saccharomyces/Silicon Ferment
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinPanthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPhospholipids are a family of skin-identical lipids that makeup the structural backbone of every cell membrane in your body.
In cosmetics, they function as skin conditioning agents with emulsifier and surfactant properties. They're typically sourced from soybean or sunflower lecithin (or sometimes egg yolk or marine sources).
Because they mirror the lipids naturally found in the deeper layers of your skin, topical phospholipids help reinforce the lipid matrix, reduce transepidermal water loss, and leave skin feeling conditioned.
They're also used to form liposomes, or tiny self-assembling vesible used to stabilize actives like vitamin c or retinol. This helps these ingredients integrate into the upper layers of skin more easily.
Phospholipids are compatible with everything and the CIR Expert Panel has concluded them to be safe at current use levels.
Some types of phospholipids include:
Learn more about PhospholipidsPropanediol 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 PropanediolSodium Phytate is the synthetic salt form of phytic acid. Phytic acid is an antioxidant and can be found in plant seeds.
Sodium Phytate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metals from binding to water. This helps stabilize the ingredients and the product.
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
