What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer
SolventWine Extract
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Resveratrol
Antioxidant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingVitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract
AstringentRubus Idaeus Fruit Extract
AstringentVaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract
Skin Protecting
Coptis Japonica Extract
AntimicrobialTartaric Acid
Buffering
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Lactic Acid
Buffering
Tromethamine
BufferingCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantCI 17200
Cosmetic ColorantCI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantBenzophenone-5
UV Absorber
Disodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Parfum
Masking
Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Alcohol Denat., PEG/PPG-17/6 Copolymer, Wine Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Resveratrol, Carbomer, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Rubus Fruticosus Fruit Extract, Rubus Idaeus Fruit Extract, Vaccinium Angustifolium Fruit Extract, Coptis Japonica Extract, Tartaric Acid, Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tromethamine, CI 19140, CI 17200, CI 42090, Benzophenone-5, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, 1,2-Hexanediol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Cellulose
Absorbent
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Ceteareth-12
EmulsifyingCitrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Juniperus Mexicana Oil
Masking
Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Lavandula Angustifolia Oil
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil
Masking
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides
Emollient
Phoenix Dactylifera Seed
Skin Conditioning1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingPolysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lactose
HumectantHydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningJojoba Esters
Emollient
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Mannitol
Humectant
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
PEG-800
HumectantBromelain
Skin ConditioningPapain
Skin ConditioningAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Sh-Oligopeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Oligopeptide-2
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-22
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-45
Skin Conditioning
Sh-Polypeptide-8
Humectant
Sh-Polypeptide-9
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
CI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Glycerin, Cellulose, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Dipropylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Ceteareth-12, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Juniperus Mexicana Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis Peel Oil, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Oil, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Polysaccharides, Phoenix Dactylifera Seed, 1,2-Hexanediol, Triethanolamine, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactose, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Jojoba Esters, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Mannitol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Cholesterol, PEG-800, Bromelain, Papain, Ascorbic Acid, Sh-Oligopeptide-1, Sh-Polypeptide-1, Sh-Oligopeptide-2, Sh-Polypeptide-22, Sh-Polypeptide-45, Sh-Polypeptide-8, Sh-Polypeptide-9, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, CI 77007
Reviews
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
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Butylene 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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerDisodium 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
