What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Keratin
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Silk
Humectant
Hydrolyzed Collagen
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin Conditioning
Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Copper Tripeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
Humectant
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Silk, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Panthenol, Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Biotin, Caprylyl Glycol, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Copper Tripeptide-1, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Caffeine, Disodium EDTA, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Vp/Va Copolymer
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingPalmitoyl Pentapeptide-4
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-20 Amide
Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Avena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Pantethine
EmollientAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingSorbic Acid
Preservative
Rhizobian Gum
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Dextran
Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract
AstringentCitric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Vp/Va Copolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-20 Amide, Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Biotin, Panthenol, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Pantethine, Aminomethyl Propanol, Sorbic Acid, Rhizobian Gum, Benzoic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Dextran, Trifolium Pratense Flower Extract, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.
The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.
In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.
The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.
Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.
Learn more about Benzoic AcidBiotin is a B vitamin that is naturally produced by our bodies. It is also called Vitamin H.
Our bodies use biotin in the metabolism process. It also helps our bodies use enzymes and move nutrients around. A biotin deficiency can lead to brittle hair and nails.
More research is needed on applying biotin topically. However, taking biotin orally has been shown to help nourish the skin, hair, and nails. They play a role in forming skin-hydrating fatty acids.
Biotin is water-soluble. It can be found in foods such as fish, eggs, dairy, nuts, and meat. Vitamin H stands for "haar" and "haut". These are the German words for hair and skin.
Learn more about BiotinButylene 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 GlycolGlycerin (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 GlycerinHydroxyethylcellulose is used to improve the texture of products. It is created from a chemical reaction involving ethylene oxide and alkali-cellulose. Cellulose is a sugar found in plant cell walls and help give plants structure.
This ingredient helps stabilize products by preventing ingredients from separating. It can also help thicken the texture of a product.
This ingredient can also be found in pill medicines to help our bodies digest other ingredients.
Learn more about HydroxyethylcelluloseMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17 isn't fungal acne safe and is a peptide.
Panthenol is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin. It is found naturally in our skin and hair.
There are two forms of panthenol: D and L.
D-panthenol is also known as dexpanthenol. Most cosmetics use dexpanthenol or a mixture of D and L-panthenol.
Panthenol is famous due to its ability to go deeper into the skin's layers. Using this ingredient has numerous pros (and no cons):
Like hyaluronic acid, panthenol is a humectant. Humectants are able to bind and hold large amounts of water to keep skin hydrated.
This ingredient works well for wound healing. It works by increasing tissue in the wound and helps close open wounds.
Once oxidized, panthenol converts to pantothenic acid. Panthothenic acid is found in all living cells.
This ingredient is also referred to as pro-vitamin B5.
Learn more about PanthenolSodium Benzoate is a preservative. It's used in both cosmetic and food products to inhibit the growth of mold and bacteria. It is typically produced synthetically.
Both the US FDA and EU Health Committee have approved the use of sodium benzoate. In the US, levels of 0.1% (of the total product) are allowed.
Sodium benzoate works as a preservative by inhibiting the growth of bacteria inside of cells. It prevents the cell from fermenting a type of sugar using an enzyme called phosphofructokinase.
It is the salt of benzoic acid. Foods containing sodium benzoate include soda, salad dressings, condiments, fruit juices, wines, and snack foods.
Studies for using ascorbic acid and sodium benzoate in cosmetics are lacking, especially in skincare routines with multiple steps.
We always recommend speaking with a professional, such as a dermatologist, if you have any concerns.
Learn more about Sodium BenzoateWater. 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
