What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropanediol
SolventGlycerin
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientTriethylhexanoin
MaskingHydrogenated Rapeseed Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingOryza Sativa Lees Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningHydrolyzed Yeast Extract
Skin ConditioningCucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
EmollientGlycosphingolipids
EmollientCitrus Junos Seed Extract
AntioxidantDipotassium Glycyrrhizate
HumectantHydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
HumectantHydrolyzed Collagen
EmollientMomordica Charantia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningSaccharide Isomerate
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
EmulsifyingHydrogenated Lysolecithin
EmulsifyingStearic Acid
CleansingButylene Glycol
HumectantPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientAmmonium Polyacrylate
StabilisingAluminum Hydroxide
EmollientArginine
MaskingCitric Acid
BufferingMicrocrystalline Cellulose
AbsorbentCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Polyacrylate Starch
AbsorbentTitanium Dioxide
Cosmetic ColorantCaramel
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeMethylparaben
PreservativeParfum
MaskingWater, Propanediol, Glycerin, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, Triethylhexanoin, Hydrogenated Rapeseed Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate, Polysorbate 60, Oryza Sativa Lees Extract, Saccharomyces/Rice Ferment Filtrate, Hydrolyzed Yeast Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Glycosphingolipids, Citrus Junos Seed Extract, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Momordica Charantia Fruit Extract, Saccharide Isomerate, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrogenated Lysolecithin, Stearic Acid, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Dimethicone, Ammonium Polyacrylate, Aluminum Hydroxide, Arginine, Citric Acid, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Carbomer, Sodium Polyacrylate Starch, Titanium Dioxide, Caramel, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
EmollientMethyl Gluceth-10
EmulsifyingPentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDiglycerin
HumectantButylene Glycol
HumectantSqualane
EmollientArginine
MaskingZea Mays Oil
EmulsifyingCeramide AP
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin ConditioningCeramide NP
Skin ConditioningAscorbyl Tetraisopalmitate
AntioxidantTocopherol
AntioxidantRetinyl Palmitate
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantCitrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPrunus Persica Juice
MoisturisingPrunus Persica Leaf Extract
EmollientPhytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate
Skin ConditioningLactobacillus
Skin ConditioningHydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
AbrasivePolysorbate 60
EmulsifyingMaltodextrin
AbsorbentDisodium EDTA
Phenoxyethanol
PreservativeParfum
MaskingCyanocobalamin
Skin ConditioningCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Dimethicone, Methyl Gluceth-10, Pentylene Glycol, Glycerin, Diglycerin, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Arginine, Zea Mays Oil, Ceramide AP, Ceramide Ng, Ceramide NP, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate, Tocopherol, Retinyl Palmitate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Citrus Aurantium Bergamia Fruit Extract, Prunus Persica Juice, Prunus Persica Leaf Extract, Phytosteryl/Octyldodecyl Lauroyl Glutamate, Lactobacillus, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Silica, Polysorbate 60, Maltodextrin, Disodium EDTA, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, Cyanocobalamin, CI 77492
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Arginine is a semi-essential amino acid. This just means our bodies can product a bit on its own, but sometimes needs a little boost from food sources.
It is a part of your skin's natural moisturizing factor (NMF), or the water-loving molecules in your outermost layer of skin (stratum corneum) that keeps everything hydrated and happy.
Here's an interesting thing about Arginine: your skin converts it into urea through the Krebs-Henseleit urea cycle. Urea is one of the most effective humectants your skin naturally produces.
A clinical study showed applying 2.5% arginine hydrochloride to atopic dermatitis skin showed significant urea levels in the stratum corneum and improved moisture in just four weeks.
Arginine is also a precursor to nitric oxide; nitric oxide improves microcirculation and supports wound healing and collagen synthesis.
One study found that an amino acid complex containing Arginine reduced skin irritation, improved hydration, and accelerated skin repair in clinical / in-vivo studies.
Arginine itself is an amino acid and not a fatty acid, oil, or ester. On its own, it's not a direct food source for Malassezia, or the yeast that causes fungal acne.
Learn more about ArginineButylene 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 GlycolDimethicone is a type of synthetic silicone created from natural materials such as quartz. It is also known as polydimethylsiloxane.
What it does:
Dimethicone comes in different viscosities:
Depending on the viscosity, dimethicone has different properties.
Ingredients lists don't always show which type is used, so we recommend reaching out to the brand if you have questions about the viscosity.
This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation because it does not get absorbed into skin. However, people with silicone allergies should be careful about using this ingredient.
Note: Dimethicone may contribute to pilling. This is because it is not oil or water soluble, so pilling may occur when layered with products. When mixed with heavy oils in a formula, the outcome is also quite greasy.
Learn more about DimethiconeGlycerin (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 GlycerinParfum is a catch-all term for an ingredient or more that is used to give a scent to products.
Also called "fragrance", this ingredient can be a blend of hundreds of chemicals or plant oils. This means every product with "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list is a different mixture.
For instance, Habanolide is a proprietary trade name for a specific aroma chemical. When used as a fragrance ingredient in cosmetics, most aroma chemicals fall under the broad labeling category of “FRAGRANCE” or “PARFUM” according to EU and US regulations.
The term 'parfum' or '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 by INCI standards.
One example is Calendula flower extract. Calendula is an essential oil that still imparts a scent or 'fragrance'.
Depending on the blend, the ingredients in the mixture can cause allergies and sensitivities on the skin. Some ingredients that are known EU allergens include linalool and citronellol.
Parfum can also be used to mask or cover an unpleasant scent.
The bottom line is: not all fragrances/parfum/ingredients are created equally. If you are worried about fragrances, we recommend taking a closer look at an ingredient. And of course, we always recommend speaking with a professional.
Learn more about ParfumPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolPolysorbate 60 is used to help stabilize products. It is a surfactant and emulsifier. These properties help keep ingredients together in a product. Surfactants help reduce surface tension between ingredients with different states, such as liquids and solids. Emulsifiers help prevent oils and waters from separating.
Polysorbate 60 is sorbitol-based and created from the ethoxylation of sorbitan. Ethoxylation is a chemical reaction used to add ethylene oxide. Sorbitan is a the dehydrated version of sorbitol, a sugar found in fruits.
In this case, the 60 comes from reacting 60 units of ethylene oxide with sorbitan.
Polysorbates are commonly used in medicine and foods.
Learn more about Polysorbate 60Water. 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