What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Bicarbonate
Abrasive
Ketoglutaric Acid
Ascorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Glycine
Buffering
Propanediol
Solvent
Proline
Skin Conditioning
Lysine Hcl
Skin Conditioning
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin Conditioning
Alanine
Masking
Zinc Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Dimethicone
Emollient
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Uncaria Tomentosa Extract
Skin ConditioningCopper Gluconate
Skin Conditioning
Acetyl Cysteine
Antioxidant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder
Skin Conditioning
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningHydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate
Glycerin
Humectant
Magnesium Chloride
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingBenzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Water, Sodium Bicarbonate, Ketoglutaric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Glycine, Propanediol, Proline, Lysine Hcl, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Alanine, Zinc Gluconate, Dimethicone, Alcohol Denat., Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Uncaria Tomentosa Extract, Copper Gluconate, Acetyl Cysteine, Phospholipids, Tocopheryl Acetate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Hydroxypropyl Starch Phosphate, Glycerin, Magnesium Chloride, Butylene Glycol, Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Xanthan Gum, Benzyl Alcohol, Potassium Sorbate
Water
Skin ConditioningPhosphatidylcholine
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate
EmulsifyingLactic Acid
Buffering
Pyridoxine Hcl
Skin ConditioningPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Chlorella Vulgaris Extract
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-38
Skin Conditioning
Fulvic Acid
Skin ConditioningBeta-Glucan
Skin Conditioning
Thioctic Acid
Antioxidant
Ubiquinone
Antioxidant
Glutathione
Ergothioneine
Antioxidant
Astaxanthin
Skin Conditioning
Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract
Skin Conditioning
Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract
Antimicrobial
Olea Europaea Leaf Extract
Perfuming
Citrus Grandis Peel Oil
Masking
Citrus Limon Peel Oil
Masking
Santalum Austrocaledonicum Wood Oil
Masking
Glycine Soja Oil
Emollient
Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract
Perfuming
Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningCaprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingHydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
MaskingPotassium Sorbate
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Phosphatidylcholine, Glycerin, Niacinamide, Alcohol Denat., Polyglyceryl-4 Caprate, Lactic Acid, Pyridoxine Hcl, Panthenol, Chlorella Vulgaris Extract, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Fulvic Acid, Beta-Glucan, Thioctic Acid, Ubiquinone, Glutathione, Ergothioneine, Astaxanthin, Polygonum Cuspidatum Extract, Tocopherol, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract, Vitis Vinifera Seed Extract, Olea Europaea Leaf Extract, Citrus Grandis Peel Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Santalum Austrocaledonicum Wood Oil, Glycine Soja Oil, Lonicera Caprifolium Flower Extract, Lonicera Japonica Flower Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Potassium Sorbate, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Hydroxide, Citric Acid
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Benzyl Alcohol is most commonly used as a preservative. It also has a subtle, sweet smell. Small amounts of Benzyl Alcohol is not irritating and safe to use in skincare products. Most Benzyl Alcohol is derived from fruits such as apricots.
Benzyl Alcohol has both antibacterial and antioxidant properties. These properties help lengthen the shelf life of products. Benzyl Alcohol is a solvent and helps dissolve other ingredients. It can also improve the texture and spreadability.
Alcohol comes in many different forms. Different types of alcohol will have different effects on skin. This ingredient is an astringent alcohol.
Using high concentrations of these alcohols are drying on the skin. They may strip away your skin's natural oils and even damage your skin barrier. Astringent alcohols may also irritate skin.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
Any type of sanitizing product will have high amounts of alcohol to help kill bacteria and viruses.
Learn more about Benzyl AlcoholCitrus Grandis Peel Oil is an essential oil that is derived from the peel of a Grapefruit. It is composed largely of limonene, which is a fragrance that can cause irritation for sensitive skin.
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 GlycerinThis Honeysuckle flower extract comes from the Italian honeysuckle. It is an antioxidant, antimicrobial, and fragrance.
Both this and the Japanese Honeysuckle are rich in a natural paraben that give it antimicrobial property. They are effective in inhibiting bacteria, yeast, and mold.
Honeysuckle contains flavonoids and saponins. Both of these components are natural antioxidants that can help soothe the skin.
As most flowers do, honeysuckle has a natural fragrance.
Learn more about Lonicera Caprifolium Flower ExtractLonicera Japonica Flower Extract comes from the honeysuckle flower.
Honeysuckles have skin protecting, anti-viral, and anti-inflammatory properties. It contains many antioxidants, such as luteolin, caffeic acid, loniflavone, and chlorogenic acids.
This honeysuckle is native to East Asia and used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat fever and inflammation.
Learn more about Lonicera Japonica Flower ExtractPolyglyceryl-4 Caprate comes from Capric Acid and Polyglycerin-4. It is an emulsifier.
Emulsifiers help stabilize a product. They do this by preventing ingredients from separating, such as oils and water which do not mix naturally.
Potassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
