What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Rubus Chamaemorus Fruit Juice Extract
HumectantVaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningSorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingGlycerin
Humectant
Epilobium Angustifolium Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Chamaemorus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingHydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantTrehalose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSerine
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenethyl Alcohol
MaskingSodium Carrageenan
Emulsion StabilisingAlgin
Masking
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Pullulan
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingMaris Sal
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Linalool
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Rubus Chamaemorus Fruit Juice Extract, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Juice, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Juice, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Glycerin, Epilobium Angustifolium Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Extract, Propanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Sodium Chloride, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Trehalose, Urea, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Gluconate, Serine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenethyl Alcohol, Sodium Carrageenan, Algin, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Pullulan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Potassium Phosphate, Maris Sal, Citric Acid, Linalool, Citronellol, 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.
Phenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
