What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientGlyceryl Isostearate
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantStearic Acid
Cleansing
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Plumeria Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningNymphaea Gigantea Flower Extract
Antioxidant
Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Momordica Grosvenorii Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
C14-22 Alcohols
Emulsion Stabilising
C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Triethanolamine
BufferingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPEG-4 Laurate
Emulsifying
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
Water, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Glycerin, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Glyceryl Isostearate, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-8, Stearic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Plumeria Alba Flower Extract, Nymphaea Gigantea Flower Extract, Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Momordica Grosvenorii Fruit Extract, C14-22 Alcohols, C12-20 Alkyl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Butylene Glycol, Triethanolamine, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, PEG-4 Laurate, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate, Methylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Extract
Antioxidant
Algae Extract
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Arginine
Masking
Glycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Lysine
Skin ConditioningGlutamic Acid
Humectant
Serine
Masking
Threonine
Sorbitol
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientGlyceryl Polyacrylate
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Polyacrylamide
PEG-12
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingLaureth-7
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Benzophenone-4
UV Absorber
Triethanolamine
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
DMDM Hydantoin
Preservative
CI 60725
Cosmetic ColorantCI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cyclohexasiloxane, Betaine, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Algae Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium PCA, Proline, Arginine, Glycine, Alanine, Lysine, Glutamic Acid, Serine, Threonine, Sorbitol, Butylene Glycol, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Polyacrylamide, PEG-12, Carbomer, Laureth-7, Disodium EDTA, Benzophenone-4, Triethanolamine, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, DMDM Hydantoin, CI 60725, CI 16035
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium 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 EDTADMDM Hydantoin has antimicrobial and antifungal properties. It is a preservative that works by slowly releasing formaldehyde over time.
So what's formaldehyde?
DMDM Hydantoin is approved for use in cosmetics all around the world.
In the EU, this ingredient is allowed in personal products up to 0.6 percent.
You might have heard of the class-action lawsuit about it causing hair loss. According to chemists, there has not been a link found between this ingredient and hair loss.
The Hydantoin part of this ingredient is created by reacting glycolic acid and urea.
You can check out alternatives to Dmdm Hydantoin:
phenoxyethanol, potassium sorbate, and sodium benzoate.
Glycerin (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 GlycerinMethylparaben is a synthetic preservative and one of the most widely used in the world. It has a simple, but important job: prevent your products from going bad by stopping bacteria, yeast, and mold from growing.
Typical use levels are low, often 0.1-0.3%.
This is also one of the most heavily studied preservatives out there and major regulatory bodies have repeatedly given it the green light.
In 2023, the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) confirmed that this ingredient is safe up to 0.4% on its own, of up to 0.8% when mixed with other paraben esters.
Here's the science behind the noise behind parabens/hormones as well:
Methylparaben shows very weak estrogen-like activity in vitro tests (more than 1,000x weaker than your body's own estradiol). In vivo (live-organism) studies don't support a meaningful endocrine-disrupting effect either.
You get a stronger estrogenic effect from eating tofu, actually.
It's also a low sensitizer and allergic reactions are uncommon; they usually happen on damage or broken skin.
There is a caveat: France has proposed to formally re-examine its endocrine classification in 2025 so the regulatory conversation isn't fully closed as of yet.
But as it stands today, this ingredient is considered safe at permitted levels.
Learn more about MethylparabenPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Triethanolamine (TEA) is an emulsifier and pH adjuster. It is created using ethylene oxide and ammonia. This gives Triethanolamine a nitrogen core and a similar scent to ammonia.
As an emulsifier, it prevents ingredients from separating and enhances texture by adding volume to a product.
PH adjusters are common in cosmetic products. The pH of a product can affect the effectiveness of other ingredients. A product with a high pH may also irritate the skin.
If you are looking for the tea leaf ingredient, click here.
Learn more about TriethanolamineWater. 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
