What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSilica
Abrasive
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Stearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Sodium Trideceth Sulfate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
CleansingHamamelis Virginiana Water
Astringent
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide
Emulsifying
Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract
Antimicrobial
Punica Granatum Extract
AstringentBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Urea
Buffering
Yeast Amino Acids
HumectantTrehalose
Humectant
Inositol
Humectant
Taurine
BufferingBetaine
Humectant
Sarcosine
Skin Conditioning
Capryloyl Glycine
CleansingPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingPEG-32
HumectantCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Aminomethyl Propanol
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Parfum
Masking
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Silica, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid, Jojoba Esters, Stearyl Alcohol, Sodium Trideceth Sulfate, Sodium Lauroamphoacetate, Hamamelis Virginiana Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Butylene Glycol, PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Cocamide, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Punica Granatum Extract, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Urea, Yeast Amino Acids, Trehalose, Inositol, Taurine, Betaine, Sarcosine, Capryloyl Glycine, PEG-100 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, PEG-32, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Aminomethyl Propanol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Parfum, CI 42090, CI 17200
Water
Skin ConditioningIsononyl Isononanoate
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Octocrylene
UV Absorber
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Ethylhexyl Salicylate
UV Absorber
Diisopropyl Sebacate
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Sucrose Tristearate
Emollient
Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane
UV Absorber
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
Emulsion StabilisingMethylsilanol/Silicate Crosspolymer
Skin ConditioningDrometrizole Trisiloxane
UV Absorber
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 61
Emulsifying
PEG-12 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Benzoate
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
CI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Isononyl Isononanoate, Glycerin, Octocrylene, Niacinamide, Ethylhexyl Salicylate, Diisopropyl Sebacate, Dimethicone, Sucrose Tristearate, Butyl Methoxydibenzoylmethane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate, Methylsilanol/Silicate Crosspolymer, Drometrizole Trisiloxane, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Polysorbate 61, PEG-12 Dimethicone, Dimethiconol, Caffeine, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, CI 19140, CI 42090
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 GlycolCi 42090 is a synthetic dye created from petroleum. It is used to give a bright blue color to cosmetics, medicine, and food.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPhenoxyethanol 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
