What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Calendula Officinalis Flower Water
Masking
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Betaine
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingAllantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Coptis Japonica Root Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Extract
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantDextrin
AbsorbentSodium Palmitoyl Proline
Skin ConditioningAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
Abrasive
Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCalendula Officinalis Flower Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Niacinamide, Betaine, Water, C12-14 Pareth-12, Allantoin, Ethylhexylglycerin, Xanthan Gum, Adenosine, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Disodium EDTA, Coptis Japonica Root Extract, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Theobroma Cacao Extract, Dipropylene Glycol, Dextrin, Sodium Palmitoyl Proline, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Nymphaea Alba Flower Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningChamaecyparis Obtusa Water
MaskingPropanediol
Solvent
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Glycerin
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycereth-26
Humectant
Asiaticoside
Antioxidant
Asiatic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Madecassic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Madecassoside
Antioxidant
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sodium Citrate
BufferingTetrasodium Pyrophosphate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil
Masking
Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil
Masking
Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil
Antioxidant
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Juniperus Mexicana Oil
Masking
Boswellia Carterii Oil
Masking
Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil
Astringent
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningWater, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Water, Propanediol, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Glycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Butylene Glycol, Glycereth-26, Asiaticoside, Asiatic Acid, Madecassic Acid, Centella Asiatica Extract, Madecassoside, Alcohol, Polysorbate 20, Ceramide NP, Panthenol, Allantoin, Silica, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Citrate, Tetrasodium Pyrophosphate, Citric Acid, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Amyris Balsamifera Bark Oil, Citrus Paradisi Peel Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia Leaf Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Boswellia Carterii Oil, Aniba Rosaeodora Wood Oil, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservatives
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is the oil from the bergamot orange and is primarily used as a fragrance. It has a "fresh" and "bright orange" scent.
The main aroma compounds found in this ingredient are limonene (~27-52%), linalool (~2-22%), and linalyl acetate (~27-40%). These are known EU fragrance allergens.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
When used topically, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is a photosensitizer due to the furanocoumarin content. Furanocoumarins absorb UV-A and cause phytophotodermatitis; this can look like redness, blistering, and lasting brown pigmentation on sun-exposed skin.
Due to this, this ingredient is capped at 0.4% in leave-on products applied to sun exposed skin.
Many modern formulas used a "furanocoumarin-free" version that sidesteps the phototoxicity issue, but still contains the fragrance allergens.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit OilDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinWater. 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
