What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Coco-Betaine
Cleansing
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Cleansing
Decyl Glucoside
Cleansing
Chondrus Crispus Powder
Abrasive
Trehalose
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Gardenia Florida Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Gardenia Florida Extract
Antioxidant
Betaine
Humectant
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Parfum
Masking
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Cocoyl Glycinate
Cleansing
Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate
Surfactant1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Powder
Lauryl Betaine
CleansingHydroxyacetophenone
Antioxidant
Vigna Radiata Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Chloride
MaskingAlcohol
Antimicrobial
Betaine
Humectant
Polyquaternium-39
Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningMelia Azadirachta Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningDextrin
AbsorbentTheobroma Cacao Seed Extract
Antioxidant
Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Flower Extract
EmollientSolanum Melongena Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSodium Benzoate
Masking
Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningCorallina Officinalis Extract
Skin Conditioning
Curcuma Longa Root Extract
Masking
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Centella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Ficus Carica Fruit Extract
Humectant
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
Glycerin, Water, Sodium Cocoyl Glycinate, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Butylene Glycol, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Powder, Lauryl Betaine, Hydroxyacetophenone, Vigna Radiata Seed Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Chloride, Alcohol, Betaine, Polyquaternium-39, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract, Melia Azadirachta Flower Extract, Dextrin, Theobroma Cacao Seed Extract, Coccinia Indica Fruit Extract, Allantoin, Phellodendron Amurense Bark Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Flower Extract, Solanum Melongena Fruit Extract, Sodium Benzoate, Ocimum Sanctum Leaf Extract, Corallina Officinalis Extract, Curcuma Longa Root Extract, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Centella Asiatica Extract, Ficus Carica Fruit Extract, Ceramide NP, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Powder
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.
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 preservatives
Betaine is a humectant. Like hyaluronic acid, it helps attract and retain moisture in the skin. It’s known for being gentle and for helping the skin maintain balanced hydration.
Betaine is mainly used to improve hydration and support calmer skin. It helps skin cells regulate water balance because it functions as an osmolyte.
Some studies suggest betaine may support making skin tone more even.
Fun fact: Betaine naturally exists in the skin and the body. In cosmetic products, it can be either plant-derived (most commonly from sugar beets) or synthetically produced for consistency and stability.
Betaine is also known as trimethylglycine.
Learn more about BetaineButylene 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 GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinHydroxyacetophenone is a small phenolic molecule that earns its place in a formulas as an antioxidant and preservative booster.
As a phenol, it is able to neutralize free radicals to protect both the product and the skin from oxidative stress.
Though it can't kill microbes on its own, it works as a good supporting agent when combined with other preservatives like Phenoxyethanol or 1,2-Hexanediol.
This ingredient naturally occurs as piceol in Norwegian spruce needles (~0.4-1.1% dry weight and in cloudberries). Though the cosmetic-grade material is synthesized for purity and consistency.
You'll usually see it used at low levels and suppliers recommend up to 1% added to a water phase.
Safety testing was done at concentrations like 0.05% in SPF products and 0.5% in a Human Repeated Insult Patch Test. The safety evidence is assuring; this ingredient is safe for cosmetics in current use and also holds safety status as a food flavoring as well.
An honest caveat: the "soothing" and "anti-inflammatory" claims come mostly from supplier marketing rather than published clinical trials. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review's own literature search found no useful efficacy studies on this ingredient.
So the antioxidant and preservative-boosting roles are the well supported ones while the calming benefit is plausible but thinly evidenced.
Overall, this is a well-tolerated, low-irritation multitasker that quietly helps a formula stay fresh and stable.
Learn more about HydroxyacetophenoneWater. 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
