What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Propylheptyl Caprylate
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylene Brassylate
MaskingPropanediol
Solvent
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Soybean Glycerides
EmollientTriethanolamine
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Disodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphates
CleansingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientDisodium EDTA
Laureth-23
Cleansing
Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum
AbsorbentEnteromorpha Compressa Extract
Skin ProtectingLauryl Glucoside
CleansingCaesalpinia Spinosa Gum
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus Ferment Lysate
Skin Conditioning
Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningOcimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Rheum Rhaponticum Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Propylheptyl Caprylate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylene Brassylate, Propanediol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Soybean Glycerides, Triethanolamine, Citric Acid, Disodium Lauriminodipropionate Tocopheryl Phosphates, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter Unsaponifiables, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Acrylates/Beheneth-25 Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-23, Hydrolyzed Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Enteromorpha Compressa Extract, Lauryl Glucoside, Caesalpinia Spinosa Gum, Lactobacillus Ferment Lysate, Agastache Mexicana Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Rheum Rhaponticum Root Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Ceramide NP
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
Cleansing
Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate
CleansingCocamide DEA
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPropylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate
Emulsifying
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSalicylic Acid
Masking
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingParfum
Masking
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantBenzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
UV AbsorberAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantHexyl Cinnamal
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate, Cocamide DEA, Sodium Hydroxide, Propylene Glycol, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Propanediol, Glycolic Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Salicylic Acid, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Parfum, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Glycerin, Panthenol, CI 42090, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, CI 19140, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 PropanediolWater. 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
