What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Dimethicone
Emollient
Water
Skin ConditioningIsododecane
EmollientGlycerin
Humectant
Silica
Abrasive
PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingDimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientButylene Glycol
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Dimethicone, Water, Isododecane, Glycerin, Silica, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Propylene Glycol, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Caprylyl Glycol, Disodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aluminum Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Niacinamide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tocopherol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Isohexadecane
EmollientCaprylyl Dimethicone Ethoxy Glucoside
Emulsifying
Cocoglycerides
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate
Emulsion StabilisingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSilica Silylate
Emollient
Zinc Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexyl Palmitate
Emollient
Parfum
Masking
Ascorbyl Glucoside
Antioxidant
Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract
Skin ProtectingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Hexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingCI 77891
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantIron Oxides
Water, Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Isohexadecane, Caprylyl Dimethicone Ethoxy Glucoside, Cocoglycerides, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Sorbitan Isostearate, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Aluminum/Magnesium Hydroxide Stearate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Silica Silylate, Zinc Stearate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Propylene Glycol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Parfum, Ascorbyl Glucoside, Hydrolyzed Viola Tricolor Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hexylene Glycol, CI 77891, CI 77163, Mica, Iron Oxides
Reviews
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 GlycolCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract (tea extract) is one of the most well-researched plant extracts in skincare with an impressive resume.
Black tea, green tea, and oolong tea are all harvested from the Camellia Sinensis plant.
Studies show green tea extract and its catechins (like epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG)) help your skin cells product energy more efficiently and reducing the number of free-radicals that can damage your skin from the inside.
In lab-grown skin models, this translated to younger, healthier, and stronger skin.
There's also good sun protection data; researchers saw less DNA damage and redness on human skin when green tea was applied before UVB exposure. And the more they applied, the better the protection.
Needless to say, this ingredient shouldn't replace your sunscreen. But it is a great supportive ingredient that you can already find in many sunscreens and antioxidant serums.
A 2009 study found a 2% green tea lotion was effective for mild-to-moderate acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory and mild antimicrobial activity.
The quality of the extract matters a lot here:
Good extracts contain 50-90% catechins while lower quality ones are mostly there for marketing. We recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the quality or source of their ingredients.
Human Repeated Insult Patch Testing showed no irritation or sensitization at use concentrations (0.86% in leave-on products and up to 30% as leaf water).
Learn more about Camellia Sinensis Leaf ExtractCaprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolDimethicone 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 DimethiconeDimethicone Crosspolymer is a silicone created by modifying dimethicone with hydrocarbon side chains. Due to its large size, it does not penetrate skin. It is considered non-occlusive.
Dimethicone Crosspolymer is used to stabilize and thicken products. It also helps give products a silky feel.
Glycerin (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.
Propylene 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 GlycolChances are, you eat sodium chloride every day. Sodium Chloride is also known as table salt. This ingredient has many purposes in skincare: thickener, emulsifier, and exfoliator.
You'll most likely find this ingredient in cleansers where it is used to create a gel-like texture. As an emulsifier, it also prevents ingredients from separating.
You might see people debate whether Sodium Chloride is comedogenic, but there actually haven't been any comedogenic tests done on it. Either way, the overall formulation of a product matters a lot more than any single ingredient.
You might see this ingredient used in scrubs as a primary exfoliating ingredient.
Learn more about Sodium ChlorideSodium 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
