What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Citrate
BufferingBetaine Salicylate
Antimicrobial
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitrofortunella Microcarpa Fruit Extract
Antioxidant
Trehalose
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Beta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid
Skin Conditioning
Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract
Skin ConditioningPropolis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Glycerin, Polyglyceryl-10 Myristate, Polyglyceryl-10 Laurate, Sodium Citrate, Betaine Salicylate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citrofortunella Microcarpa Fruit Extract, Trehalose, Allantoin, Disodium EDTA, Beta-Glucan, 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Propolis Extract, Citrus Unshiu Peel Extract, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Propanediol
Solvent
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate
Emulsifying
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate Citrate
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningArginine
Masking
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDisodium EDTA
Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil
Masking
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Saussurea Involucrata Extract
HumectantCeramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract
EmollientPhytosphingosine
Skin Conditioning
Linalool
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Propanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxyacetophenone, Polyglyceryl-3 Distearate, Allantoin, Xanthan Gum, Panthenol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Arginine, Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Saussurea Involucrata Extract, Ceramide NP, Persea Gratissima Fruit Extract, Phytosphingosine, Linalool, Limonene
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
1,2-Hexanediol is a synthetic liquid and another multi-functional powerhouse.Â
It is a:
- Humectant, drawing moisture into the skin
- Emollient, helping to soften skin
- Solvent, dispersing and stabilizing formulas
- Preservative booster, enhancing the antimicrobial activity of other preservativesÂ
Allantoin is a soothing ingredient known for its protective and moisturizing properties; it's basically a quiet workhorse ingredient you can find in a huge range of cosmetics.
Though it can be derived from the comfrey plant, allantoin is produced synthetically for cosmetic products to ensure purity.
Research shows it can encourage your skin cells to turn over and renew by stimulating keratinocyte and fibroblast proliferation.
It also has mild keratolytic properties to help loosen and shed dead skin cells without being harsh.
Studies also suggest allantoin can help calm inflammation by dialing down some of the chemical signals your skin sends out when it is irritated.
This ingredient is typically used in the 0.1-0.5% range, and the FDA recognizes it as a skin protectant in OTC products up to 2%.
Overall, allantoin is a wonderful addition to most routines; it is stable across a wide pH range (~4-8), works well with other ingredients, and is considered non-sensitizing/non-irritating.
Fun fact: Allantoin is naturally occurring in comfrey root, beets, chamomile, and wheat sprouts. Our bodies even produce it as a byproduct of uric acid metabolism.
Learn more about AllantoinButylene 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 GlycolCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is the oil from the bergamot orange and is primarily used as a fragrance. It has a "fresh" and "bright orange" scent.
The main aroma compounds found in this ingredient are limonene (~27-52%), linalool (~2-22%), and linalyl acetate (~27-40%). These are known EU fragrance allergens.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
When used topically, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Oil is a photosensitizer due to the furanocoumarin content. Furanocoumarins absorb UV-A and cause phytophotodermatitis; this can look like redness, blistering, and lasting brown pigmentation on sun-exposed skin.
Due to this, this ingredient is capped at 0.4% in leave-on products applied to sun exposed skin.
Many modern formulas used a "furanocoumarin-free" version that sidesteps the phototoxicity issue, but still contains the fragrance allergens.
Learn more about Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit OilDisodium 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 EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinLimonene is a fragrance that adds scent and taste to a formulation.
It's found in the peel oil of citrus fruits and other plants such as lavender and eucalyptus. The scent of limonene is generally described as "sweet citrus".
Limonene acts as an antioxidant, meaning it helps neutralize free radicals.
When exposed to air, oxidized limonene may sensitize the skin. Because of this, limonene is often avoided by people with sensitive skin.
The term 'fragrance' is not regulated in many countries. In many cases, it is up to the brand to define this term. For instance, many brands choose to label themselves as "fragrance-free" because they are not using synthetic fragrances. However, their products may still contain ingredients such as essential oils that are considered a fragrance.
Learn more about LimoneneLinalool is a fragrance and helps add scent to products. It's derived from common plants such as cinnamon, mint, citrus, and lavender.
Like Limonene, this ingredient oxidizes when exposed to air. Oxidized linalool can cause allergies and skin sensitivity.
This ingredient has a scent that is floral, spicy tropical, and citrus-like.
Learn more about LinaloolPropanediol is an all-star ingredient. It softens, hydrates, and smooths the skin.Â
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 PropanediolWater. 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
