What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycolic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingButylene Glycol
Humectant
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Lecithin
Emollient
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Adenosine
Skin Conditioning
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Phosphate
BufferingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Water
Skin ConditioningAcetyl Glucosamine
Skin Conditioning
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Triethyl Citrate
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate
AntimicrobialButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate
Emollient
Dimethicone
Emollient
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantPEG-100 Stearate
Surfactant
Polymethylsilsesquioxane
Nylon-12
Isostearic Acid
Cleansing
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Palmitoyl Glycine
CleansingMalus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides
EmollientHydrogenated Palm Glycerides
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Isopropyl Myristate
Emollient
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lecithin
Emollient
PEG-40 Stearate
Emulsifying
Ceteareth-20
CleansingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Sodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Ammonium Hydroxide
BufferingChlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylene Brassylate
MaskingMethyldihydrojasmonate
MaskingIsobutyl Methyl Tetrahydropyranol
MaskingMethyl Decenol
Masking
Caramel
Cosmetic ColorantCI 19140
Cosmetic ColorantWater, Acetyl Glucosamine, Cyclopentasiloxane, Triethyl Citrate, Cetearyl Alcohol, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Cyclohexasiloxane, Glycerin, Isocetyl Stearoyl Stearate, Dimethicone, Ethoxydiglycol, PEG-100 Stearate, Polymethylsilsesquioxane, Nylon-12, Isostearic Acid, Tocopheryl Acetate, Palmitoyl Glycine, Malus Domestica Fruit Cell Culture Extract, Hydrogenated Palm Kernel Glycerides, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides, Dimethiconol, Isopropyl Myristate, Caprylyl Glycol, Lecithin, PEG-40 Stearate, Ceteareth-20, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Sodium Bisulfite, Disodium EDTA, Ammonium Hydroxide, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylene Brassylate, Methyldihydrojasmonate, Isobutyl Methyl Tetrahydropyranol, Methyl Decenol, Caramel, CI 19140
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Lecithin is a term for a group of substances found in the cell membranes of plants, animals, and humans. They are made up of phospholipids.
Thanks to its amphiphilic structure (water-loving head and oil-loving tail), it is a true multitasker:
It plays well with most ingredients and is typically used at 0.1-1%. However, concentrations up to 50% have been reported in moisturizers.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol 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
