What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Bis-PEG-18 Methyl Ether Dimethyl Silane
EmollientParaffinum Liquidum
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingArginine PCA
HumectantSerine
Masking
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysilicone-11
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Ptfe
Methylsilanol/Silicate Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningHydroxyphenoxy Propionic Acid 1%
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingEllagic Acid 0.5%
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Steareth-8 Methacrylate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingDimethiconol
Emollient
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantSalicylic Acid 0.3%
Masking
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Faex Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingMica
Cosmetic ColorantDisodium EDTA
PPG-5-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Cyclohexasiloxane, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., Butylene Glycol, Polysilicone-11, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Ptfe, Methylsilanol/Silicate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyphenoxy Propionic Acid 1%, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Ellagic Acid 0.5%, Phenoxyethanol, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Pentylene Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Steareth-8 Methacrylate Copolymer, Dimethiconol, CI 77891, Salicylic Acid 0.3%, Chlorphenesin, Faex Extract, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Mica, Disodium EDTA, PPG-5-Ceteth-20, Citric Acid
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.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
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 this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
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.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.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 TaurateButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolGlycerin (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 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
