What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
PPG-15 Stearyl Ether
EmollientStearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ceteareth-20
CleansingIsohexadecane
EmollientDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Trisiloxane
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Synthetic Wax
Abrasive
Polyacrylamide
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract
Skin ProtectingBHT
Antioxidant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Disodium EDTA
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Dimethicone, Glycerin, PPG-15 Stearyl Ether, Stearyl Alcohol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Butylene Glycol, Ceteareth-20, Isohexadecane, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Trisiloxane, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Synthetic Wax, Polyacrylamide, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Chlorphenesin, Hydrolyzed Myrtus Communis Leaf Extract, BHT, Sodium Hyaluronate, Disodium EDTA, Laureth-7, Ascorbic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Retinol, Sodium Hydroxide
Water
Skin ConditioningDipropylene Glycol
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol
Skin ConditioningCapryloyl Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating
Disodium EDTA
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Potassium Hydroxide
BufferingSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingAscorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingMica
Cosmetic ColorantMyristic Acid
Cleansing
Palmitic Acid
Emollient
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Potassium Cetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
Cleansing
Tin Oxide
Abrasive
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Citronellol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 15985
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Dipropylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol, Propylene Glycol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Alcohol Denat., Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, 2-Oleamido-1,3-Octadecanediol, Capryloyl Salicylic Acid, Disodium EDTA, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Potassium Hydroxide, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopherol, Cetyl Alcohol, Octyldodecanol, Silica, Carbomer, CI 77891, Glyceryl Stearate, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Mica, Myristic Acid, Palmitic Acid, PEG-100 Stearate, Potassium Cetyl Phosphate, Stearic Acid, Tin Oxide, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Citronellol, Limonene, Linalool, CI 15985, CI 19140, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Dimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeDisodium 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 EDTAGlycerin (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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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
