What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPolysilicone-11
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Alcohol Denat., Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Glycine Soja Oil, PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30, Sodium Hyaluronate, Retinol, Adenosine, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Caprylyl Glycol, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Xanthan Gum, Polysilicone-11, Retinyl Palmitate, Tocopherol, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSaccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMentha Aquatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningIris Florentina Root Extract
MaskingYeast Extract
Skin ConditioningMalachite Extract
Antioxidant
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Viola Tricolor Extract
EmollientCryptomeria Japonica Bud Extract
Skin ConditioningCeratonia Siliqua Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Thymus Mastichina Flower Oil
Skin Conditioning
Salvia Officinalis Oil
Masking
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Alcohol Denat., Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Saccharide Isomerate, Panthenol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Mentha Aquatica Leaf Extract, Iris Florentina Root Extract, Yeast Extract, Malachite Extract, Adenosine, Viola Tricolor Extract, Cryptomeria Japonica Bud Extract, Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Thymus Mastichina Flower Oil, Salvia Officinalis Oil, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Benzoate, Linalool, Limonene, Geraniol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Adenosine is in every living organism. It is one of four components in nucleic acids that helps store our DNA.
Adenosine has many benefits when used. These benefits include hydrating the skin, smoothing skin, and reducing wrinkles. Once applied, adenosine increases collagen production. It also helps with improving firmness and tissue repair.
Studies have found adenosine may also help with wound healing.
In skincare products, Adenosine is usually derived from yeast.
Learn more about AdenosineAlcohol 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.Citric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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.
Water. 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
