What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
CleansingSodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingSodium Taurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate
Cleansing
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Parfum
Masking
Cocamide Mea
Emulsifying
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Betaine
Humectant
PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
EmulsifyingPiroctone Olamine
Preservative
Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingPolyquaternium-10
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate
EmollientEtidronic Acid
ChelatingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phytosteryl Oleate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Behenate
Emollient
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Extract
Masking
Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract
Skin ConditioningBiota Orientalis Leaf Extract
HumectantPolygonum Multiflorum Root Extract
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cyclodextrin
AbsorbentChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDiaminopyrimidine Oxide
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningAesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningAmmonium Glycyrrhizate
MaskingZinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingChrysin
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Oleanolic Acid
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Hexapeptide-3
Skin Conditioning
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicWater, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Sodium Taurine Cocoyl Methyltaurate, Sodium Chloride, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Parfum, Cocamide Mea, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Betaine, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Piroctone Olamine, Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate, Polyquaternium-10, Citric Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Trimethylolpropane Tricaprylate/Tricaprate, Etidronic Acid, Panthenol, Butylene Glycol, Phytosteryl Oleate, Glyceryl Behenate, Sodium Benzoate, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Anemarrhena Asphodeloides Root Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Propylene Glycol, Caffeine, Angelica Polymorpha Sinensis Root Extract, Biota Orientalis Leaf Extract, Polygonum Multiflorum Root Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Cyclodextrin, Chlorphenesin, Adenosine, Glycerin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Diaminopyrimidine Oxide, Niacinamide, Yeast Extract, Aesculus Hippocastanum Seed Extract, Ammonium Glycyrrhizate, Zinc Gluconate, Sodium Citrate, Chrysin, Arginine, Oleanolic Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-4, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Hexapeptide-3, Biotin
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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneWater. 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
