What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-75
HumectantRetinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Royal Jelly Extract
Skin Conditioning
Maranta Arundinacea Root Extract
SmoothingCyclohexane
SolventBis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate
EmollientHydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Mel Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Junos Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingAlthaea Rosea Root Extract
HumectantCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Foeniculum Vulgare Fruit Extract
EmollientSpinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPolygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Polyglycerin-6
HumectantSorbitol
Humectant
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSqualane
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Maltitol
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingZea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Alcohol, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG-75, Retinyl Palmitate, Royal Jelly Extract, Maranta Arundinacea Root Extract, Cyclohexane, Bis-Ethoxydiglycol Cyclohexane 1,4-Dicarboxylate, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Sodium Hyaluronate, Mel Extract, Citrus Junos Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Althaea Rosea Root Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Foeniculum Vulgare Fruit Extract, Spinacia Oleracea Leaf Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Polyglycerin-6, Sorbitol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Butylene Glycol, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Squalane, Phenyl Trimethicone, Polysorbate 20, Maltitol, Potassium Hydroxide, Zea Mays Oil, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Ethyl Linoleate
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventCetearyl Isononanoate
Emollient
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
Antioxidant
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingCeteareth-20
CleansingCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Carrageenan
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAcacia Senegal Gum
MaskingCetyl Palmitate
Emollient
Sucrose Laurate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Isoceteth-20
EmulsifyingRosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialHydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone
Skin ConditioningBehentrimonium Chloride
Preservative
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Disodium EDTA
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Ethyl Linoleate, Propanediol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Bisabolol, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinol, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Ceteareth-12, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Alcohol, Carrageenan, Xanthan Gum, Acacia Senegal Gum, Cetyl Palmitate, Sucrose Laurate, Polysorbate 20, Isoceteth-20, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Behentrimonium Chloride, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Disodium EDTA, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzoic Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20This is a botanical extract from the rosemary plant (the same one you cook with). In skincare, it mostly works as a skin conditioning agent.
Its activity comes from a handful of polyphenols, carnosic acid, carnosol, and rosmarinic acid. Almost 90% of the antioxidant activity of this ingredient can be attributed to canosol and carnosic acid.
These compounds protect your skin two ways:
1) They fight off free radicals, or the unstable molecules from things like sun and pollution that age and damage skin.
2) They help calm inflammation by switching off the chemical signals that tell skin to get red and irritated.
Lab studies also suggest that rosmarinic acid may help protect collagen and slow sugar-related damage to it.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review has concluded rosemary-derived ingredients to be safe when formulated to be non-sensitizing.
Rosemary can occasionally cause allergic contact dermatitis (due to carnosol), so be sure to patch test if you have reactive or fragrance-sensitive skin.
Learn more about Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf ExtractWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
