What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantNiacinamide
SmoothingCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingTranexamic Acid
AstringentDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingSalicylic Acid
MaskingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Water
MaskingDMDM Hydantoin
PreservativeAllantoin
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid
Skin ConditioningCitrus Junos Seed Extract
AntioxidantCitrus Unshiu Peel Extract
MaskingActinidia Chinensis Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningFragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Skin Extract
AntioxidantGarcinia Mangostana Peel Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
MaskingWater, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Centella Asiatica Extract, Tranexamic Acid, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Salicylic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, DMDM Hydantoin, Allantoin, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Disodium EDTA, 10-Hydroxydecenoic Acid, Citrus Junos Seed Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Actinidia Chinensis Seed Extract, Fragaria Chiloensis Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Skin Extract, Garcinia Mangostana Peel Extract, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
HumectantGlycerin
HumectantGlycereth-26
HumectantErythritol
Humectant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin ConditioningHydroxyacetophenone
AntioxidantAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingTriethanolamine
BufferingDisodium EDTA
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingStephania Tetrandra Root Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantBeta-Glucan
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
HumectantBisabolol
AntioxidantHouttuynia Cordata Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
MaskingHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
CleansingCholesterol
EmollientZingiber Officinale Root Extract
MaskingCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningWater, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Glycereth-26, Erythritol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Triethanolamine, Disodium EDTA, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Stephania Tetrandra Root Extract, Sodium Hyaluronate, Beta-Glucan, Propylene Glycol, Bisabolol, Houttuynia Cordata Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hexylene Glycol, Stearic Acid, Cholesterol, Zingiber Officinale Root Extract, Ceramide NP
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium 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 GlycerinPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil is an emulsifier derived from castor oil.
As an emulsifying agent, it helps other ingredients like fragrances and fat-soluble vitamins dissolve cohesively.
Due to its large molecule size, it doesn't penetrate beyond the skin's surface.
This ingredient has a solid regulatory track record; the CIR Expert Panel first concluded it was safe for use in cosmetics at concentrations up to 100% in 1997. A 2012 reassessment reaffirmed that finding. Safety studies have also found no irritation or evidence of toxicity.
A 2019 study did find this ingredient to grow Malassezia, so this ingredient may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor OilPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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