What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
AntioxidantCyclohexasiloxane
EmollientGlycerin
HumectantAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Polysilicone-11
Dimethicone
EmollientPropylene Glycol
HumectantPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
EmollientC13-14 Isoparaffin
EmollientTocopherol
AntioxidantSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantAdenosine
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester
Skin ConditioningPEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate
EmulsifyingPoloxamer 338
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid
MaskingPolyacrylamide
Toluene Sulfonic Acid
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientDisodium EDTA
BHT
AntioxidantLaureth-7
EmulsifyingParfum
MaskingWater, Ascorbic Acid, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Potassium Hydroxide, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Polysilicone-11, Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Tocopherol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Adenosine, Acetyl Dipeptide-1 Cetyl Ester, PEG-20 Methyl Glucose Sesquistearate, Poloxamer 338, Salicylic Acid, Polyacrylamide, Toluene Sulfonic Acid, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium EDTA, BHT, Laureth-7, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
AntimicrobialGlycolic Acid
BufferingPropylene Glycol
HumectantPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingTranexamic Acid
AstringentKojic Acid
AntioxidantC12-13 Alkyl Lactate
EmollientHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTrisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Panthenol
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
ExfoliatingDisodium EDTA
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It helps add stability and texture to a product. This ingredient is stable over a wide pH range.
Due to its ability to absorb water, it can help thicken the texture of a product. As an emulsion stabilizer, this ingredient is stabilizes other ingredients to create a consistent texture.
According to a manufacturer, it helps create a "smooth, light and fresh" texture.
Learn more about Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl TaurateDisodium EDTA plays a role in making products more stable by aiding other preservatives.
It is a chelating agent, meaning it neutralizes metal ions that may be found in a product.
Disodium EDTA is a salt of edetic acid and is found to be safe in cosmetic ingredients.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPotassium hydroxide is commonly known as caustic potash. It is used to fix the pH of a product or as a cleaning agent in soap. In cleansers, it is used for the saponification of oils.
Sapnification is the process of creating fatty acid metal salts from triglycerides and a strong base. During this process, Potassium Hydroxide is used up and is not present in the final product.
Using high concentrations of Potassium Hydroxide have shown to irritate the skin.
Learn more about Potassium HydroxidePropylene Glycol is an odorless, colorless liquid. As a humectant, it helps skin retain moisture. It also aids in delivering active ingredients.
Another role of this ingredient is preventing a product from melting or freezing. Propylene glycol also adds antimicrobrial properties to a product, elongating product lifespan.
This ingredient is considered an organic alcohol and commonly added into both cosmetics and foods.
Those with sensitive skin or conditions may develop a rash when using this ingredient.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water