What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dimethicone
Emollient
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract
Skin ProtectingSucrose Palmitate
EmollientPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sodium Citrate
BufferingParfum
Masking
Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningPisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Glyceryl Linoleate
Emollient
Tetrasodium EDTA
Tulipa Gesneriana Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Khaya Senegalensis Bark Extract
Skin ProtectingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Sodium Polyacrylate, Caesalpinia Spinosa Fruit Extract, Sucrose Palmitate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Maltodextrin, Sodium Citrate, Parfum, Kappaphycus Alvarezii Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Yeast Extract, Pisum Sativum Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Glyceryl Linoleate, Tetrasodium EDTA, Tulipa Gesneriana Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Khaya Senegalensis Bark Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Isononyl Isononanoate
EmollientSqualane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Sucrose Dilaurate
Emollient
Pisum Sativum Extract
Skin ConditioningDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Cichorium Intybus Root Extract
MaskingOriganum Majorana Leaf Extract
AntiseborrhoeicBiosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingN-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
P-Anisic Acid
MaskingSorbic Acid
Preservative
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Water, Dimethicone, Isononyl Isononanoate, Squalane, Glycerin, Sucrose Dilaurate, Pisum Sativum Extract, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Maltodextrin, Cichorium Intybus Root Extract, Origanum Majorana Leaf Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Polysorbate 20, Ethylhexylglycerin, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, N-Butyl Alcohol, P-Anisic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Tocopherol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone 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 DimethiconeDimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone created by modifying dimethicone with hydrocarbon side chains. Due to its large size, it does not penetrate skin. It is considered non-occlusive.
Dimethicone Crosspolymer is used to stabilize and thicken products. It also helps give products a silky feel.
Ethylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinMaltodextrin is a plant-derived carbohydrate made by breaking down starch (usually from corn, potato, or rice). In cosmetic formulas, it's a multitasking absorbent, emulsion stabilizer, and skin conditioner.
This ingredient is mostly used to stabilize emulsions and improve the powdery, non-greasy feel of products (like dry shampoos).
Safety-wise, this ingredient is pretty solid; it's even recognized as a food additive. Both animal and clinical studies found no adverse effects at the levels used in cosmetics.
Industry data shows this ingredient is used up to 45.7% in spray products and up to 33% in powder products.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPhenoxyethanol is one of the most widely used preservatives in skincare (and for good reason!).
It has a large spectrum of antimicrobial activity and especially effective bacteria, yeast, and mold while only having a weak effect on your skin's natural microbiome.
On a cellular level, it disrupts the cell membranes of microbes by poking holes that make the cell leak. This shuts down the chemical reactions the microbe needs to make energy so it can no longer survive.
Another perk of this ingredient is that it stays functional across a wide pH range (3-10).
You'll often see it paired with boosters like Ethylhexylglycerin; one study showed that a 1:9 ratio of Ethylhexylglycerin to Phenoxyethanol damages bacterial membranes as effectively as doubling the Phenoxyethanol concentration on its own.
Typical use concentrations range from 0.3-1% depending on the formula, and this ingredient is capped at 1% int the EU.
Safety-wise, the fear mongering does not hold up to the evidence. The EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety and FDA consider it safe as a preservative at up to 1%, including for children of all ages.
Adverse systemic effects only showed up in animal studies at exposures roughly 200x higher than what people get from cosmetics. And despite its very widespread use, this ingredient is a rare sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon.
Learn more about PhenoxyethanolWe don't have a description for Pisum Sativum Extract yet.
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 Water
