What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyester-5
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Octyldodeceth-16
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Parfum
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Water
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Titanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Cetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Diisostearyl Malate
EmollientMethyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polypropylsilsesquioxane
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingMagnesium Sulfate
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Nylon-12
C30-45 Alkyldimethylsilyl Polypropylsilsesquioxane
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientCetearyl Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
CI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Titanium Dioxide, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Glycerin, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Diisostearyl Malate, Methyl Trimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Polypropylsilsesquioxane, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Magnesium Sulfate, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Phenoxyethanol, Nylon-12, C30-45 Alkyldimethylsilyl Polypropylsilsesquioxane, Aluminum Hydroxide, Cetearyl Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Betaine, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA, 1,2-Hexanediol, Allantoin, Caffeine, Tocopherol, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 EthylhexylglycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolTocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
