What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCoco-Caprylate/Caprate
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Arachidyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingHydroxyethyl Urea
Humectant
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Arachidyl Glucoside
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAlbizia Julibrissin Bark Extract
MaskingDehydroacetic Acid
Preservative
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Bougainvillea Glabra Leaf Cell Extract
Antioxidant
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Ammonium Lactate
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingAlteromonas Ferment Extract
Skin Conditioning
Theobroma Cacao Leaf Cell Extract
MaskingUndaria Pinnatifida Extract
Skin ConditioningCrocus Sativus Flower Extract
MaskingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Darutoside
Skin ConditioningWater, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Arachidyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Hydroxyethyl Urea, Behenyl Alcohol, Tocopherol, Parfum, Arachidyl Glucoside, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Albizia Julibrissin Bark Extract, Dehydroacetic Acid, Caffeine, Sodium Gluconate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Bougainvillea Glabra Leaf Cell Extract, Hyaluronic Acid, Ammonium Lactate, Sodium Hydroxide, Alteromonas Ferment Extract, Theobroma Cacao Leaf Cell Extract, Undaria Pinnatifida Extract, Crocus Sativus Flower Extract, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Benzoate, Darutoside
Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Methyl Gluceth-20
Humectant
PEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Cetyl Alcohol
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
PEG-8
HumectantPolymethylsilsesquioxane
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hypnea Musciformis Extract
Skin ProtectingGelidiella Acerosa Extract
Skin ProtectingSigesbeckia Orientalis Extract
Skin ConditioningCrithmum Maritimum Extract
Skin ConditioningHordeum Vulgare Extract
EmollientChlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialPadina Pavonica Thallus Extract
Skin ConditioningLaminaria Digitata Extract
Skin Protecting
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate
Humectant
Whey Protein
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Vegetable Oil
Emollient
Micrococcus Lysate
Skin ConditioningPersea Gratissima Sterols
EmollientErgothioneine
Antioxidant
Biotin
AntiseborrhoeicAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Caffeine
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Palmitoyl Oligopeptide
Cleansing
Glyceryl Polymethacrylate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polysilicone-11
Propylene Glycol Dicaprate
EmollientTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Sucrose
Humectant
Trehalose
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHelianthus Annuus Seedcake
Abrasive
Tromethamine
BufferingPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Cholesterol
Emollient
Zinc PCA
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingHydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Potassium Sulfate
Citric Acid
Buffering
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Sodium Citrate
BufferingDisodium Distyrylbiphenyl Disulfonate
SurfactantDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric/Myristic/Stearic Triglyceride, Dimethicone, Methyl Gluceth-20, PEG-100 Stearate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-8, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hypnea Musciformis Extract, Gelidiella Acerosa Extract, Sigesbeckia Orientalis Extract, Crithmum Maritimum Extract, Hordeum Vulgare Extract, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Padina Pavonica Thallus Extract, Laminaria Digitata Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Saccharomyces Ferment Filtrate, Whey Protein, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Micrococcus Lysate, Persea Gratissima Sterols, Ergothioneine, Biotin, Acetyl Glucosamine, Caffeine, Lecithin, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Glyceryl Polymethacrylate, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysilicone-11, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sucrose, Trehalose, Pentylene Glycol, Carbomer, Helianthus Annuus Seedcake, Tromethamine, Phytosphingosine, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Cholesterol, Zinc PCA, Hexylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Potassium Sulfate, Citric Acid, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Citrate, Disodium Distyrylbiphenyl Disulfonate, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77891
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolCaffeine is a naturally occurring plant compound found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cocoa pods, and guarana.
As an antioxidant, caffeine protects your skin from free radical damage caused by UV exposure and envionrmnetal stressors.
Early research also shows that caffeine can help calm redness, soothe irritated skin, and support hair growth by stimulating microcirculation in the scalp.
You might have seen eye creams marketing caffeine as a depuffing ingredient. This is because it is a vasoconstrictor meaning it can temporarily constrict blood vessels, though clinical evidence for this specific use is still limited.
Most skincare products contain this ingredient at concentrations between 1-6%. It is able to penetrate skin easily regardless of skin type or thickness.
Just so you know, a very small number of case reports describe caffeine-induced allergy. This ingredient is generally well-tolerated, non-irritating, and non-sensitizing for the majority of people.
Learn more about CaffeineGlycerin (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
