What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventTetrasodium Disuccinoyl Cystine
Propylene Glycol
HumectantAlcohol
AntimicrobialMyristoyl Pentapeptide-17
Skin ConditioningMyristoyl Hexapeptide-16
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Root Extract
EmollientCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
AstringentTriticum Vulgare Germ Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Germ Extract
EmollientArginine
MaskingLactic Acid
BufferingGluconolactone
Skin ConditioningCalcium Gluconate
HumectantSodium Benzoate
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeCitric Acid
BufferingTriethanolamine
BufferingWater, Propanediol, Tetrasodium Disuccinoyl Cystine, Propylene Glycol, Alcohol, Myristoyl Pentapeptide-17, Myristoyl Hexapeptide-16, Centella Asiatica Leaf Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Extract, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Arginine, Lactic Acid, Gluconolactone, Calcium Gluconate, Sodium Benzoate, Phenoxyethanol, Citric Acid, Triethanolamine
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicCellulose Gum
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialDisodium Phosphate
BufferingPhosphoric Acid
BufferingDechloro Dihydroxy Difluoro Ethylcloprostenolamide
Butylene Glycol
HumectantCalendula Officinalis Extract
Skin ConditioningPanax Ginseng Extract
AntioxidantQuercus Serrata Extract
Skin ConditioningCamellia Sinensis Extract
AntioxidantSwertia Japonica Extract
Skin ConditioningTriticum Vulgare Germ Protein
EmollientPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningBiotinoyl Tripeptide-1
Octapeptide-2
Skin ConditioningWater, Glycerin, Biotin, Cellulose Gum, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Disodium Phosphate, Phosphoric Acid, Dechloro Dihydroxy Difluoro Ethylcloprostenolamide, Butylene Glycol, Calendula Officinalis Extract, Panax Ginseng Extract, Quercus Serrata Extract, Camellia Sinensis Extract, Swertia Japonica Extract, Triticum Vulgare Germ Protein, Pentylene Glycol, Biotinoyl Tripeptide-1, Octapeptide-2
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Phenoxyethanol 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