What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
No concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract
Humectant
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Oryza Sativa Extract
Absorbent
Caprylyl Methicone
Skin Conditioning
PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer
Triolein
Skin Conditioning
Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Water
Skin ConditioningSqualane
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Ethoxydiglycol
HumectantCyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningDisodium EDTA
Water, Glycerin, Pseudoalteromonas Ferment Extract, Niacinamide, Oryza Sativa Extract, Caprylyl Methicone, PEG-12 Dimethicone/PPG-20 Crosspolymer, Triolein, Opuntia Ficus-Indica Stem Water, Squalane, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Ethoxydiglycol, Cyclopentasiloxane, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Disodium EDTA
Water
Skin ConditioningCentella Asiatica Extract
Cleansing
Cyclopentasiloxane
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract
Bleaching
Tranexamic Acid
Astringent
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Dicetyl Phosphate
EmulsifyingCeteth-10 Phosphate
CleansingDimethicone
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower
Antioxidant
Xylitylglucoside
Humectant
Anhydroxylitol
Humectant
Xylitol
Humectant
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingBeta Vulgaris Root Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopheryl Acetate
Antioxidant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCitric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Antioxidant
Water, Centella Asiatica Extract, Cyclopentasiloxane, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Arbutin, Glycyrrhiza Glabra Root Extract, Tranexamic Acid, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Cetearyl Alcohol, Dicetyl Phosphate, Ceteth-10 Phosphate, Dimethicone, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Hydrolyzed Verbascum Thapsus Flower, Xylitylglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Carbomer, Beta Vulgaris Root Extract, Tocopheryl Acetate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Cyclopentasiloxane (D5) is a lightweight silicone that mostly acts as an emollient and solvent in cosmetics. Its the reason your products feel silky, fast-spreading, and non-greasy.
Since D5 is volatile, it does its thing and then evaporates off the skin quickly.
The safety profile of this ingredient is reassuring; the US CIR Expert Panel concluded D5 is safe as used in cosmetics and Health Canada concluded that D5 is not harmful to human health or the environment as currently used in cosmetics
There's a study that people mention about D5 in a rat study showing tumors. This study is related to long-term inhalation of high D5 levels.
Regulatory bodies have judged this study to be not applicable in topical skincare since skin absorption of D5 is very low and we're not really inhaling huge amounts of D5.
The only restriction for this ingredient is environmental. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) restricted D5 in wash-off cosmetics at or above 0.1% due to their persistence in water.
Learn more about CyclopentasiloxaneEthylhexylglycerin 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 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
