What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingAmmonium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract
Emollient
Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract
Emollient
Arginine
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Tocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Ascorbyl Palmitate
Antioxidant
Lecithin
Emollient
Sucrose
Humectant
Hydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
BHT
Antioxidant
Cyclohexasiloxane
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingAscorbic Acid
Antioxidant
Water, Glycerin, Glycolic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Ammonium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Propylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus Fruit Extract, Arginine, Disodium EDTA, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Lecithin, Sucrose, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cyclopentasiloxane, BHT, Cyclohexasiloxane, Xanthan Gum, Ascorbic Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Propanediol
Solvent
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantSodium Dna
Skin Conditioning
Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ConditioningMarrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture
Skin ProtectingMelilotus Officinalis Extract
AstringentTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3
Skin Protecting
Lecithin
Emollient
Dextran
Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingAminomethyl Propanol
BufferingCellulose
Absorbent
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Lactose
HumectantEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningHexylene Glycol
EmulsifyingDisodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Parfum
Masking
CI 77007
Cosmetic ColorantCI 60730
Cosmetic ColorantLimonene
Perfuming
Water, Glycerin, Propanediol, Dipropylene Glycol, Sodium Dna, Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture, Marrubium Vulgare Meristem Cell Culture, Melilotus Officinalis Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Retinyl Palmitate, Caprooyl Tetrapeptide-3, Lecithin, Dextran, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Carbomer, Aminomethyl Propanol, Cellulose, Polysorbate 20, Caprylyl Glycol, Lactose, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hexylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Citric Acid, Phenoxyethanol, Parfum, CI 77007, CI 60730, Limonene
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAEthylhexylglycerin is created from glycerin. It is a multitasker ingredient that:
The CIR Expert Panel found minimal skin absorption or sensitization of any kind in a safety assessment. Though this ingredient is considered well-tolerated, a small number of cases of allergic dermatitis have been published since 2002. Just be sure to patch test if you are unsure.
Industry-reported use ranges from 8% in rinse-off products and 2% in leave-on formulations.
Learn more about EthylhexylglycerinGlycerin (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 GlycerinLecithin 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.
Depending on the source of this ingredient, lecithin may not be fungal acne safe. This is because some sources of lecithin come from soybean oil, which may feed the malassezia yeast that causes fungal acne.
We recommend reaching out to the brand you are purchasing from to inquire about the source of their lecithin.
Learn more about LecithinPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Polysorbate 20 is a gentle, water-soluble emulsifier and mild surfactant. It stops oil and water from separating to keep your formulas blended and stable.
It also acts as a mild penetration enhancer by helping active ingredients absorb slightly better.
The common safety discussion around this ingredient involves a manufacturing byproduct called 1,4-dioxane.
Trace amounts can form during production but the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has concluded that levels at/below 10 ppm in finished products are safe (commercial products consistently fall within acceptable margins).
True allergic reactions are uncommon and the CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be safe as used in cosmetics.
Because it is derived from lauric acid, it may not be fungal acne safe.
Learn more about Polysorbate 20Retinyl palmitate is a form of retinoid. Retinoids are the superstar class of anti-aging ingredients that include tretinoin and retinol.
This particular ingredient has had a bumpy year with its rise and fall in popularity.
First, Retinyl palmitate is created from palmitic acid and retinol. It is a retinol ester and considered one of the weaker forms of retinoid.
This is because all retinoids have to be converted to Tretinoin, AKA retinoic acid. Retinyl Palmitate is pretty far down the line and has to go through multiple conversions before its effects are seen.
Due to this long and ineffective conversion line, the benefits of Retinyl Palmitate are debated.
Studies show Retinyl Palmitate to help:
Dermatologists say this ingredient is ineffective because it isn't used in high enough concentrations in cosmetics.
This ingredient used to be found in sunscreens to boost the efficacy of sunscreen filters.
The downfall of Retinyl Palmitate was due to released reports about the ingredient being correlated to sun damage and skin tumors.
While there is a study showing this ingredient to cause DNA damage when exposed to UV-A, there is no concrete proof of it being linked to skin cancer. It is safe to use when used correctly.
All retinoids increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun in the first few months of usage. Be especially careful with reapplying sunscreen when using any form of retinoid.
Currently, this ingredient is still allowed in cosmetics all over the world. In Canada, cosmetics must have a warning label stating the product to contain Retinyl Palmitate
Fun fact: This ingredient is often added to low-fat milk to increase the levels of Vitamin A.
Learn more about Retinyl PalmitateTocopheryl Acetate is AKA Vitamin E. It is an antioxidant and protects your skin from free radicals. Free radicals damage the skin by breaking down collagen.
One study found using Tocopheryl Acetate with Vitamin C decreased the number of sunburned cells.
Tocopheryl Acetate is commonly found in both skincare and dietary supplements.
Learn more about Tocopheryl AcetateWater. 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
