What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Dicaprylyl Carbonate
EmollientCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Glycolipids
Skin ConditioningPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Cholesterol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract
Astringent
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingT-Butyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Polyacrylate
Absorbent
Glycerin
Humectant
Coffea Arabica Seed Extract
Masking
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil
Skin Conditioning
Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialParfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Benzoic Acid
Masking
Dehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Niacinamide, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ceramide NP, Lecithin, Glycolipids, Phytosphingosine, Cholesterol, Tocopherol, Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, T-Butyl Alcohol, Sodium Polyacrylate, Glycerin, Coffea Arabica Seed Extract, Glycine Soja Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis Oil, Daucus Carota Sativa Root Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Benzyl Alcohol is an aromatic alcohol with several roles: it's a preservative, solvent, and mild fragrance component with a floral scent.
This ingredient has been deemed safe for use in cosmetic formulations at concentrations up to 5%, and up to 10% in hair dyes. You'll typically see 0.5-2% in most rinse-off or leave-on products.
As a preservative, it works by disrupting the membrane of microbial proteins. This helps keep bacteria and fungi from growing in your products.
The sensitization picture is actually quite assuring as well:of nearly 71,000 patients patch tested with benzyl alcohol, only 0.21% showed a positive reaction with most of them being weakly positive.
This led researchers to conclude that benzyl alcohol cannot be regarded as a significant contact allergen.
It is worth noting this ingredient is classified as one of the EU's regulated fragrance allergens and restricted to 1% in finished products.
Labels must also declare it in concentrations above 0.001% in leave-on products and 0.01% in rinse-off products.
At concentrations around 5%, localized redness and itching can appear as a direct irritant response and not as a true allergic reaction.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholDehydroacetic Acid is a synthetic preservative that keeps your products safe from microbes.
As an organic acid, it penetrates microbial cell walls and disrupts cellular metabolism. This makes it effective against bacteria, yeast, and mold.
It is effective at low concentrations (<0.6%). Clinical studies have found it to be non-irritating, non-sensitizing, and non-photosensitizing.
Learn more about Dehydroacetic AcidEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Sodium Hyaluronate is the salt form of hyaluronic acid. It is a long sugar chain that is naturally found in your skin, joints, and connective tissue that maintains hydration and elasticity.
In skincare, it works as a humectant. It pulls water from the environment and deeper layers of skin and binds it to the surface.
Interestingly, the size of the molecule affects its behavior:
Some clinical evidence links low molecular weight versions to improved wrinkle depth, elasticity, anti-inflammatory effects, and barrier repair.
Many serums use a blend of both weights so you can get surface hydration plus longer-lasting and deeper effects.
You'll typically see concentrations between 0.1-2% for this ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium HyaluronateWater. 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
