What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Chondrus Crispus
Masking
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Sh-Polypeptide-121
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Juice, Water, Propanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyacetophenone, Chondrus Crispus, Sodium Gluconate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Sh-Polypeptide-121, Pentylene Glycol, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingRubus Chamaemorus Fruit Juice Extract
HumectantRubus Chamaemorus Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Chamaemorus Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Juice
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower
Skin Conditioning
Acetum
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Xylitol
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate
UV AbsorberEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate
StabilisingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingLimonene
Perfuming
Parfum
Masking
CI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Rubus Chamaemorus Fruit Juice Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Seed Extract, Rubus Chamaemorus Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Vitis-Idaea Fruit Juice, Calendula Officinalis Flower, Acetum, Xylitylglucoside, Saccharide Isomerate, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Anhydroxylitol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Xylitol, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Maltodextrin, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzotriazolyl Butylphenol Sulfonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tris(Tetramethylhydroxypiperidinol)Citrate, Alcohol, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Limonene, Parfum, CI 17200, CI 19140
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 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 HydroxyacetophenonePhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolThis ingredient is Lingonberry juice. Lingonberries are little red berries from arctic region. They are a great source of antioxidants and have been shown to help soothe inflammation.
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
