What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningEthylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
UV Absorber
Cyclomethicone
Emollient
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Hexyl Laurate
Emollient
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Isodecyl Neopentanoate
EmollientAmorphophallus Konjac Root Extract
HumectantMethyl Trimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine
Skin Conditioning
Polymethyl Methacrylate
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialNiacinamide
Smoothing
PEG-10 Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Silica
Abrasive
Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Sodium Chloride
MaskingNelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningJasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract
Masking
Rose Extract
Skin ConditioningLilium Candidum Bulb Extract
Skin ConditioningFreesia Refracta Extract
Skin ConditioningNarcissus Pseudo-Narcissus Flower Extract
Skin ConditioningIris Versicolor Extract
EmollientLeontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract
Skin ConditioningLauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Skin Conditioning
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Dimethicone
Emollient
Polysilicone-11
Ozokerite
Emulsion StabilisingCalcium Stearate
Cosmetic ColorantLauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Triethoxycaprylylsilane
Sorbitan Sesquioleate
Emulsifying
Trihydroxystearin
Skin Conditioning
Triethanolamine
BufferingAdenosine
Skin Conditioning
Aluminum Hydroxide
EmollientStearic Acid
Cleansing
Synthetic Fluorphlogopite
Silica Dimethyl Silylate
EmollientZein
Skin ConditioningZea Mays Starch
Absorbent
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Disodium EDTA
CI 77491
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77492
Cosmetic ColorantCI 77499
Cosmetic ColorantPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
Water, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, Cyclomethicone, Cyclopentasiloxane, Hexyl Laurate, Butylene Glycol, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Amorphophallus Konjac Root Extract, Methyl Trimethicone, Bis-Ethylhexyloxyphenol Methoxyphenyl Triazine, Polymethyl Methacrylate, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Niacinamide, PEG-10 Dimethicone, Silica, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Sodium Chloride, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Extract, Jasminum Officinale Flower/Leaf Extract, Rose Extract, Lilium Candidum Bulb Extract, Freesia Refracta Extract, Narcissus Pseudo-Narcissus Flower Extract, Iris Versicolor Extract, Leontopodium Alpinum Flower/Leaf Extract, Lauryl PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Sorbitan Olivate, Hyaluronic Acid, Sorbitan Isostearate, Dimethicone, Polysilicone-11, Ozokerite, Calcium Stearate, Lauryl PEG/PPG-18/18 Methicone, Glycerin, Triethoxycaprylylsilane, Sorbitan Sesquioleate, Trihydroxystearin, Triethanolamine, Adenosine, Aluminum Hydroxide, Stearic Acid, Synthetic Fluorphlogopite, Silica Dimethyl Silylate, Zein, Zea Mays Starch, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Disodium EDTA, CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum
Water
Skin ConditioningSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
Humectant
Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
Humectant
Phospholipids
Skin Conditioning
Sphingolipids
Emollient
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract
Skin Conditioning
Glycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingP-Anisic Acid
MaskingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Pentylene Glycol, Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Phospholipids, Sphingolipids, Panthenol, Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, P-Anisic Acid, Tocopherol, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethoxydiglycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
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 GlycerinPhenoxyethanol 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 PhenoxyethanolWater. 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
