What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Dimethicone
Emollient
Propanediol
Solvent
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientBrassica Glycerides
EmollientDiisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientMaltodextrin
Absorbent
Glyceryl Glucoside
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phytonadione Epoxide
AstringentPrunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate
Skin Conditioning
Zerumbone
Skin ConditioningN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningDipeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Steareth-20
CleansingChrysin
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingRetinal
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Caffeine, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Brassica Glycerides, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Maltodextrin, Glyceryl Glucoside, Behenyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Phytonadione Epoxide, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Zerumbone, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Dipeptide-2, Steareth-20, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Xanthan Gum, Retinal, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hesperidin Methyl Chalcone, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Polydecene
EmollientTriheptanoin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Hydrogenated Polyisobutene
EmollientC13-15 Alkane
SolventButylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPolyglyceryl-6 Polyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Dextrin Isostearate
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol
UV AbsorberTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Octyldodecyl Xyloside
EmulsifyingPEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate
Emulsifying
Triethylhexanoin
MaskingLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTriethoxycaprylylsilane
Sodium Hydroxide
Buffering1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5
Humectant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Xylose
HumectantCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Hydrogenated Polydecene, Triheptanoin, Glycerin, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, C13-15 Alkane, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyhydroxystearate, Glycyrrhiza Uralensis Root Extract, Octyldodecanol, Silica, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Dextrin Isostearate, Polyglyceryl-6 Polyricinoleate, Phenoxyethanol, Benzotriazolyl Dodecyl P-Cresol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Octyldodecyl Xyloside, PEG-30 Dipolyhydroxystearate, Triethylhexanoin, Lactobacillus, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Aluminum Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Sodium Hydroxide, 1,2-Hexanediol, Tocopherol, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-5, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Xylose, CI 77891, CI 77492, CI 77491, CI 77499
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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 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
