What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Silica
Abrasive
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Calcium Chloride
AstringentChondrus Crispus Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate
AbsorbentSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Octanediol
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Alcohol Denat., Silica, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Calcium Chloride, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Glycerin, Lithium Magnesium Sodium Silicate, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, Octanediol, Tocopherol
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate
CleansingSodium Oleoyl Sarcosinate
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Oleate
CleansingMenthol
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Beta-Caryophyllene
Masking
Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Tocopherol, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Copolymer, Pvp, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate, Sodium Oleoyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Oleate, Menthol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Parfum, Beta-Caryophyllene, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes
Reviews
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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolTocopherol 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
