What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Crambe Abyssinica Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Silk Amino Acids
HumectantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycereth-2 Cocoate
Emulsifying
Zingiber Officinale Root Oil
Masking
Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate
CleansingSodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Citric Acid
Buffering
Pimpinella Anisum Seed Oil
Masking
Ricinus Communis Seed Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyquaternium-10
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Glycol Distearate
Emollient
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Skin ConditioningZingiber Officinale Root Oil, Disodium Cocoamphodipropionate, Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Citric Acid, Pimpinella Anisum Seed Oil, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyquaternium-10, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Decyl Glucoside, Glycol Distearate, Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 Phenoxyethanol
