What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin
HumectantPEG-8
HumectantZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Linalool
Perfuming
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Mannitol
Humectant
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Limonene
Perfuming
Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract
Skin ProtectingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Microcrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Tetrasodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein
Skin ConditioningHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
CI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Alcohol, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, PEG-8, Zea Mays Starch, Linalool, Carbomer, Glycolic Acid, Dimethiconol, Parfum, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Mannitol, Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, Limonene, Paeonia Suffruticosa Root Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Tetrasodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein, Hexyl Cinnamal, Benzyl Alcohol, CI 16035
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Sodium Acrylates Crosspolymer-2
AbsorbentAlpha-Arbutin
Antioxidant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingC15-19 Alkane
SolventKojic Dipalmitate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Iron Oxides
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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.
Sodium 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 HydroxideWater. 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
