What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Isododecane
EmollientCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Propanediol
Solvent
Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate
HumectantMagnesium Sulfate
Mica
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
PEG-6 Isostearate
Emulsifying
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Arachis Hypogaea Oil
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
Humectant
Carnosine
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Carbonate
SolventButylene Glycol
Humectant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract
HumectantNymphaea Lotus Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHesperetin Laurate
Antioxidant
Nymphaea Caerulea Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Diacetyl Boldine
Skin Conditioning
Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Benzaldehyde
Masking
Water, Caprylyl Methicone, Glycerin, Isododecane, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, Polymethyl Methacrylate, Polyglyceryl-4 Isostearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Propanediol, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, Magnesium Sulfate, Mica, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, PEG-6 Isostearate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Retinyl Palmitate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Tocopheryl Acetate, Arachis Hypogaea Oil, Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate, Carnosine, Propylene Carbonate, Butylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Biosaccharide Gum-1, Helianthus Annuus Seed Extract, Aphanizomenon Flos-Aquae Extract, Nymphaea Lotus Flower Extract, Hesperetin Laurate, Nymphaea Caerulea Flower Extract, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Tocopherol, Diacetyl Boldine, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Benzaldehyde
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Polyisobutene
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate
Emollient
Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Disteardimonium Hectorite
StabilisingPropylene Carbonate
SolventTrimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Silica
Abrasive
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningRosa Canina Fruit Extract
Astringent
Lauroyl Lysine
Skin Conditioning
Polymethyl Methacrylate
Cyclopentasiloxane, Diphenylsiloxy Phenyl Trimethicone, Lauryl PEG-10 Tris(Trimethylsiloxy)Silylethyl Dimethicone, Polyisobutene, Sodium Hyaluronate, Isopropyl Titanium Triisostearate, Triethoxysilylethyl Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Water, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, Tocopheryl Acetate, Disteardimonium Hectorite, Propylene Carbonate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Silica, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Evodia Rutaecarpa Fruit Extract, Rosa Canina Fruit Extract, Lauroyl Lysine, Polymethyl Methacrylate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disteardimonium Hectorite comes from the clay mineral named hectorite. It is used to add thickness to a product.
It can also help stabilize a product by helping to disperse other ingredients.
Hectorite is a rare, white clay mineral.
Learn more about Disteardimonium HectoriteGlycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolThis ingredient is also known as PMMA. It is a polymer microsphere, composed of tiny, perfectly spherical particles formed from repeating units.
In cosmetics, PMMA is mainly used to give a soft or blurring effect. The transparent particles are able to scatter light and help reduce the appearance of fine-lines and imperfections.
PMMA is also able to enhance the texture of products by add a smooth feel.
Learn more about Polymethyl MethacrylatePropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.
It’s often used to:
Propanediol is not likely to cause sensitivity and considered safe to use. It is derived from corn or petroleum with a clear color and no scent.
Learn more about PropanediolThis ingredient is a solvent. It helps dissolve active ingredients and alter the texture of products.
Propylene Carbonate is commonly used in makeup and with clay, such as montmorillonite or bentonite.
Studies show this ingredient to be safe for cosmetics. When it is undiluted, it can cause skin irritation. (It is always diluted in skincare and makeup). This ingredient is water-soluble.
Propylene Carbonate is created from propylene glycol and carbonic acid.
Learn more about Propylene CarbonateTocopheryl Acetate is a stable, shelf-friendly form of vitamin E.
Formulators love it because plain vitamin E oxidizes quickly once it hits air. This acetate version stays stable and resists going off, helping to extend a product's shelf life.
It's actually inactive on its own and works like a slow-release "storage" form; the enzymes in your skin called esterases gradually convert it into active vitamin E over time.
One in vivo study showed 5% of the acetate in the living layer of the epidermis converted to vitamin E after 5 days of application. This study also found the skin gained protection against UV damage even though the conversion was slow and small.
Once converted, vitamin E acts as a skin's main fat-soluble antioxidant that fights free radicals to protect skin from damage.
Topical vitamin E generally boosts the skin's photoprotection, and it reduced UV-damage in animal models.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
Overall, it has a pretty solid safety profile and has been found to be non-irritating and non-comedogenic. Allergic reactions may happen but stay rare due to how widely the ingredient gets used.
The concentration will vary depending on the formula; industry data shows 0.1% in baby lotions, 3% in lipsticks, and 5% in foot powders. You can also find this ingredient at 100% in a pure vitamin E oil.
Most leave-on skincare keeps it at the lower end, often between 0.5-1%.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
