What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Glycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningCocamidopropyl Betaine
Cleansing
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil
Antimicrobial
Rosa Canina Fruit Oil
Emollient
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyquaternium-10
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract
Emollient
Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Gardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract
Cosmetic ColorantEugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract
AstringentPrunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Persica Fruit Extract
Abrasive
Citric Acid
Buffering
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Glycerin, Water, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit/Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Fruit Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Squalane, Pyrus Malus Fruit Extract, Polyquaternium-10, Maltodextrin, Sorbitan Oleate Decylglucoside Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol, Cocos Nucifera Fruit Extract, Vanilla Planifolia Fruit Extract, Gardenia Jasminoides Fruit Extract, Eugenia Caryophyllus Flower Extract, Prunus Armeniaca Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Fruit Extract, Citric Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Isethionate
Cleansing
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine
Cleansing
Glycerin
Humectant
Coco-Glucoside
Cleansing
Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate
Cleansing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Papain
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Bromelain
Skin Conditioning
Sodium PCA
Humectant
Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharum Officinarum Extract
MoisturisingCitrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Acer Saccharum Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract
MaskingGlycol Distearate
Emollient
Polyquaternium-51
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Extract
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cocamide Mipa
Emulsifying
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningUrea
Buffering
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate
Trehalose
Humectant
Maltodextrin
Absorbent
Water, Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glycerin, Coco-Glucoside, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Papain, Niacinamide, Bromelain, Sodium PCA, Vaccinium Myrtillus Fruit Extract, Saccharum Officinarum Extract, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Acer Saccharum Extract, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Fruit Extract, Glycol Distearate, Polyquaternium-51, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Citrus Aurantium Amara Leaf/Twig Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Cocamide Mipa, Triethyl Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Urea, Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate, Trehalose, Maltodextrin
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinMaltodextrin is a plant-derived carbohydrate made by breaking down starch (usually from corn, potato, or rice). In cosmetic formulas, it's a multitasking absorbent, emulsion stabilizer, and skin conditioner.
This ingredient is mostly used to stabilize emulsions and improve the powdery, non-greasy feel of products (like dry shampoos).
Safety-wise, this ingredient is pretty solid; it's even recognized as a food additive. Both animal and clinical studies found no adverse effects at the levels used in cosmetics.
Industry data shows this ingredient is used up to 45.7% in spray products and up to 33% in powder products.
Learn more about MaltodextrinPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolTetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate is a chelating agent. Chelating agents help prevent metal ions from binding to other ingredients. This helps prevent unwanted effects and reactions from a product. These metal ions may come from water and are found in miniscule amounts.
Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate can also help other preservatives be more effective.
Water. 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
