What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Vp/Va Copolymer
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCalcium Sodium Borosilicate
Parfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic Colorant
CI 16035
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Butylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Vp/Va Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Calcium Sodium Borosilicate, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, Allantoin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Ectoin, Hydroxyacetophenone, Tin Oxide, Carnosine, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Ethylhexylglycerin, Titanium Dioxide, CI 16035
Water
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientPolyglyceryl-10 Oleate
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycerin
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Cholesterol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Lauroyl Lactylate
EmulsifyingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Isononyl Isononanoate, Polyglyceryl-10 Oleate, Propanediol, Glycerin, Panthenol, Ectoin, Beta-Glucan, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Magnolia Officinalis Bark Extract, Xanthan Gum, Phytosphingosine, Caprylyl Glycol, Cholesterol, Carbomer, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolEctoin is a compound found naturally in some species of bacteria. It can be synthetically created for skincare use.
This ingredient is an osmolyte; Osmolytes help organisms survive osmotic shock (it protects them from extreme conditions). It does this by influencing the properties of biological fluids within cells.
When applied to the skin, ectoin helps bind water molecules to protect our skin. The water forms a sort of armor for the parts of our skin cells, enzymes, proteins, and more.
Besides this, ectoin has many uses in skincare:
A study from 2004 found ectoin to counteract the damage from UV-A exposure at different cell levels. It has also been shown to protect skin against both UV-A, UV-B rays, infrared light, and visible light.
Studies show ectoin to have dual-action pollution protection: first, it protects our skin from further pollution damage. Second, it helps repair damage from pollution.
In fact, ectoin has been shown to help with:
Fun fact: In the EU, ectoin is used in inhalation medication as an anti-pollution ingredient.
Ectoin is a highly stable ingredient. It has a wide pH range of 1-9. Light, oxygen, and temperature do not affect this ingredient.
The chemical name for this ingredient is Tetrahydromethylpyrimidine Carboxylic Acid.
Learn more about EctoinEthylhexylglycerin 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
