What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
No key ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Octyldodecanol
Emollient
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialTremella Fuciformis Extract
Humectant
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Emollient
Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Astringent
Sodium Chloride
MaskingVinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
CI 42090
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Cyclohexasiloxane, Niacinamide, Butylene Glycol, Octyldodecanol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Centella Asiatica Extract, Polygonum Cuspidatum Root Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Tremella Fuciformis Extract, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Sodium Chloride, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Benzyl Alcohol, Limonene, Linalool, CI 42090
Water
Skin ConditioningCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Isododecane
EmollientDimethicone
Emollient
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientMagnesium Sulfate
Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate
Absorbent
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingTrimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Bis-Isobutyl PEG/PPG-10/7/Dimethicone Copolymer
Emulsifying
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Propylene Carbonate
SolventEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
CI 77163
Cosmetic Colorant
Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Caprylyl Methicone, Isododecane, Dimethicone, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane Crosspolymer, Propylene Glycol, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Phenyl Trimethicone, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Magnesium Sulfate, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Bis-Isobutyl PEG/PPG-10/7/Dimethicone Copolymer, Dimethiconol, Propylene Carbonate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, CI 77163
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
This ingredient is a silicone-based emulsifer that helps the water and oil phases play nicely together.
It's pretty effective because one end of the molecule loves oil and the other one loves water.
Besides holding formulas together, it also leaves a silky and lightweight feel on skin without the greasiness. A manufacturer also claims it can help with the controlled release of active ingredients.
The CIR Expert Panel found this ingredient to not be sensitizing in concentrations up to 15% in human maximazation testing and dimethicone-based compounds were not comedogenic.
It has a high molecular weight well above 1,000 g/mol which means it limits meaningful skin penetration.
A 2019 study specifically tested this ingredient and found no observable Malassezia growth in its presence.
Learn more about Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 DimethiconeCyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneGlycerin (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-10 Dimethicone is silicone with conditioner and emulsifier properties. It mostly acts as an emollient in skincare and and humectant in haircare.
According to the manufacturer, acidic formulations decrease the stability of this ingredient. It works best in neutral or near neutral formulations.
Phenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolThis ingredient is used in makeup and skincare to thicken formulas, reduce shine, and give skin a silky-smooth feel.
It’s a white silicone powder that sits in fine lines and pores to blur their appearance though its effectiveness depends on the particle size.
You'll typically find this ingredient in amounts between 0.1-20%.
Learn more about Vinyl Dimethicone/Methicone Silsesquioxane CrosspolymerWater. 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
