What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingDunaliella Salina Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Tetrapeptide-21
Skin Conditioning
Pentapeptide-18
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Pantolactone
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Caprylate
EmollientLactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningPolyvinyl Alcohol
Phenylpropanol
Masking
Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14
Skin Conditioning
Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Inulin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Panthenol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Carnosine, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Dunaliella Salina Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Sodium Benzoate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Tetrapeptide-21, Pentapeptide-18, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Pantolactone, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Glyceryl Caprylate, Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Phenylpropanol, Copper Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-14, Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate, Potassium Sorbate, Xanthan Gum
Water
Skin ConditioningPerfluorohexane
SolventPerfluoroperhydrophenanthrene
Skin ConditioningButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Perfluorodecalin
Skin ConditioningC12-16 Alcohols
EmollientButylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate
EmollientPolymethyl Methacrylate
Sodium Acrylates Copolymer
Glycerin
Humectant
Isopropyl Palmitate
Emollient
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract
Cleansing
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Magnesium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningProlinamidoethyl Imidazole
Skin ProtectingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole
Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52
Skin Conditioning
Polyvinyl Alcohol
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-18
Skin Conditioning
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Hydroxide
BufferingGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientMenthone Glycerin Acetal
Refreshing
P-Anisic Acid
Masking
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Sodium Phytate
Silanediol Salicylate
EmollientTromethamine
BufferingMethylpropanediol
SolventLinalool
Perfuming
Water, Perfluorohexane, Perfluoroperhydrophenanthrene, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Perfluorodecalin, C12-16 Alcohols, Butylene Glycol Dicaprylate/Dicaprate, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Sodium Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Isopropyl Palmitate, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Adenosine, Tocopherol, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Flower Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Magnesium Gluconate, Prolinamidoethyl Imidazole, Butylene Glycol, Glutamylamidoethyl Imidazole, Palmitoyl Hexapeptide-52, Polyvinyl Alcohol, Lactic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Palmitoyl Heptapeptide-18, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Palmitic Acid, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Glyceryl Caprylate, Menthone Glycerin Acetal, P-Anisic Acid, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Chlorphenesin, Sodium Phytate, Silanediol Salicylate, Tromethamine, Methylpropanediol, 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.
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 GlycolCitric Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) naturally found in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes.
Like other AHAs, citric acid can exfoliate skin by breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together. This helps reveal smoother and brighter skin underneath.
However, this exfoliating effect only happens at high concentrations (20%) which can be hard to find in cosmetic products.
Due to this, citric acid is usually included in small amounts as a pH adjuster. This helps keep products slightly more acidic and compatible with skin's natural pH.
In skincare formulas, citric acid can:
While it can provide some skin benefits, research shows lactic acid and glycolic acid are generally more effective and less irritating exfoliants.
Most citric acid used in skincare today is made by fermenting sugars (usually from molasses). This synthetic version is identical to the natural citrus form but easier to stabilize and use in formulations.
Read more about some other popular AHA's here:
Learn more about Citric AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinGlyceryl Caprylate comes from glycerin and caprylic acid. It is an emollient, co-emulsifier, and preservative booster.
Its short C8 fatty acid chain makes it behave differently from its longer-chain emollient cousins like Glyceryl Stearate. It feels more lightweight, fast-absorbing, and silky instead of rich and waxy.
As a co-emulsifier, its "head" and "tail" sit at the oil-water interface. But overall, the short C8 tail and not being water soluble means it doesn't really have the muscle to emulsify a formula on its own. That's why you'll often see it paired with a primary emulsifier like Cetearyl Glucoside.
Interestingly, Glyceryl Caprylate acts as a preservative booster. This is because its fatty-acid backbone disrupts microbial lipid membranes. It shows excellent activity against bacteria and yeast but is weaker against mold.
Typical concentrations range from 0.5-1% and this ingredient is generally non-irritating.
Because this ingredient has a C8 fatty acid chain, it is outside the range that the Malassezia yeast metabolizes (making it fungal acne safe).
Learn more about Glyceryl CaprylatePhenoxyethanol 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.
We don't have a description for Polyvinyl Alcohol yet.
Water. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
