What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingZinc PCA
Humectant
Sarcosine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingSilica
Abrasive
Silica Silylate
Emollient
Perlite
Absorbent
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Acrylates Copolymer
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Water, Propylene Glycol, Octyldodecanol, Dimethicone, PEG-100 Stearate, Glyceryl Stearate, Salicylic Acid, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Zinc PCA, Sarcosine, Sodium Hydroxide, Silica, Silica Silylate, Perlite, Carnosine, Disodium EDTA, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, Pentylene Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, Cetyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Tocopherol, Parfum
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate is a polymer made from ammonium salts. It works as a thickener, emulsifier, and texture enhancer that gives gel-creams a silky, lightweight feel.
This ingredient is versatile and low-maintenance so manufacturers love working with it.
Typical usage levels in cosmetics are usually low and in the range of 0.015 - 2.3%.
Learn more about Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl TaurateDisodium 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 EDTAPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolTocopherol 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
