What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-400
Emulsion StabilisingSorbitol
Humectant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Glycerin
Humectant
Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingArginine
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract
Camellia Seed Oil
Sodium Chloride
MaskingRosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Averrhoa Carambola Leaf Extract
HumectantSaxifraga Sarmentosa Extract
Skin ConditioningRubus Idaeus Extract
Skin ProtectingSodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Sericin
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Artemisia Vulgaris Extract
Skin Conditioning
Honey Extract
Humectant
Aspergillus/Camellia Japonica Seed Ferment Extract Filtrate
Skin ConditioningSoluble Collagen
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingSimethicone
Emollient
Citric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Laurtrimonium Chloride
Emulsifying
Hypericum Erectum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Corn Starch
HumectantPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG-400, Sorbitol, Alcohol, Glycerin, Sodium Acrylate/Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Dimethylacrylamide Crosspolymer, Arginine, Xanthan Gum, Zizyphus Jujuba Fruit Extract, Camellia Seed Oil, Sodium Chloride, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Averrhoa Carambola Leaf Extract, Saxifraga Sarmentosa Extract, Rubus Idaeus Extract, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Sericin, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Artemisia Vulgaris Extract, Honey Extract, Aspergillus/Camellia Japonica Seed Ferment Extract Filtrate, Soluble Collagen, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Simethicone, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Laurtrimonium Chloride, Hypericum Erectum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is also called ethanol or ethyl alcohol. It is denatured, meaning made undrinkable for cosmetic use.
In formulas, it:
Is it bad for your skin?
The answer comes down to concentration. Patch and wash studies have found highly concentrated alcohol-based hand rubs (60-100%) cause less barrier disruption than washing with a basic detergent like SLS. The only measurable effect in these studies was a temporary dip in skin hydration.
Concentrations below 12-15% in leave-on cosmetics is generally well-tolerated. Concentrations above start to see increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and reduced hydration.
In concentrations about 58%, it creates temporary channels in your skin's lipid layers to become more permeable and allow other ingredients to slip through easily.
This ingredient can be up to 80% of the formula in alcohol-based perfumes.
Overall, this ingredient is probably harmless if found lower down an ingredients list but worth side-eyeing if it's high up (especially if your barrier is already struggling).
Alcohol can worsen dry skin, eczema, and oily skin, especially at higher concentrations. This is because it can increase transepidermal water loss and decrease hydration to disrupt the skin barrier.
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
True allergic contact dermatitis to ethanol is uncommon, but be sure to patch test if you have dry or sensitive skin.
Learn more about AlcoholButylene 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 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 GlycerinTocopherol 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
