What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Laureth Sulfate
CleansingPropylene Glycol
HumectantCocamidopropyl Betaine
CleansingPEG-150 Distearate
EmulsifyingSalicylic Acid
MaskingSodium Chloride
MaskingPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeGlycerin
HumectantSodium Hydroxide
BufferingDisodium EDTA
Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer
Sodium Benzoate
MaskingSodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids
CleansingPolyquaternium-39
Polyquaternium-7
Squalane
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantFomes Officinalis Extract
Skin ProtectingAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningTrehalose
HumectantUrea
BufferingGlycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
BleachingOpuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningSerine
MaskingTerminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract
AntioxidantAlgin
MaskingAnthemis Nobilis Flower Extract
MaskingCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientCentaurea Cyanus Flower Extract
AstringentChamomilla Recutita Flower Extract
MaskingDisodium Phosphate
BufferingGlyceryl Polyacrylate
Hypericum Perforatum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
EmulsifyingPotassium Phosphate
BufferingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativePullulan
Sodium Hyaluronate
HumectantTilia Cordata Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningWater, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Propylene Glycol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-150 Distearate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Chloride, Phenoxyethanol, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Oat Amino Acids, Polyquaternium-39, Polyquaternium-7, Squalane, Butylene Glycol, Fomes Officinalis Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trehalose, Urea, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Extract, Pentylene Glycol, Serine, Terminalia Ferdinandiana Fruit Extract, Algin, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Centaurea Cyanus Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract, Disodium Phosphate, Glyceryl Polyacrylate, Hypericum Perforatum Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Potassium Phosphate, Potassium Sorbate, Pullulan, Sodium Hyaluronate, Tilia Cordata Flower Extract
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantPropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-8
HumectantMyristic Acid
CleansingStearic Acid
CleansingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingLauric Acid
CleansingBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPEG-100 Stearate
SurfactantParfum
MaskingOryza Sativa Seed Protein
AntioxidantO-Cymen-5-Ol
AntimicrobialMethylisothiazolinone
Preservative
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycerinPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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