What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Polyglutamic Acid
Skin Conditioning
1,2-Hexanediol
Skin Conditioning
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningErythritol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Propanediol
Solvent
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningAcrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer
Emulsion StabilisingTocopherol
Antioxidant
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Polyglutamic Acid, 1,2-Hexanediol, Ectoin, Hibiscus Esculentus Fruit Extract, Erythritol, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Carbomer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Tocopherol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning
Water
Skin ConditioningHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Squalane
Emollient
Olea Europaea Fruit Oil
Masking
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Oryza Sativa Bran Cera
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract
Skin ConditioningGlycine
Buffering
Alanine
Masking
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Hydroxyethylcellulose
Emulsion StabilisingGlycerin
Humectant
Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Skin ConditioningEctoin, Water, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Ceramide NP, Squalane, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Oryza Sativa Bran Cera, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Sodium Carbomer, Cardiospermum Halicacabum Flower/Leaf/Vine Extract, Glycine, Alanine, Pentylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Glycerin, Hydroxyphenyl Propamidobenzoic Acid
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Butylene 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 GlycolCarbomer is a high-molecular weight polymer of acrylic acid. It is used to form gels and thicken formulas.
Due to its large molecular size, carbomer has minimal skin penetration and is considered an inert ingredient.
A high amount of carbomer can cause pilling or balling up of products. Don't worry, most products contain 1% or less of carbomer.
Learn more about CarbomerEctoin is a compound found naturally in some species of bacteria. It can be synthetically created for skincare use.
This ingredient is an osmolyte; Osmolytes help organisms survive osmotic shock (it protects them from extreme conditions). It does this by influencing the properties of biological fluids within cells.
When applied to the skin, ectoin helps bind water molecules to protect our skin. The water forms a sort of armor for the parts of our skin cells, enzymes, proteins, and more.
Besides this, ectoin has many uses in skincare:
A study from 2004 found ectoin to counteract the damage from UV-A exposure at different cell levels. It has also been shown to protect skin against both UV-A, UV-B rays, infrared light, and visible light.
Studies show ectoin to have dual-action pollution protection: first, it protects our skin from further pollution damage. Second, it helps repair damage from pollution.
In fact, ectoin has been shown to help with:
Fun fact: In the EU, ectoin is used in inhalation medication as an anti-pollution ingredient.
Ectoin is a highly stable ingredient. It has a wide pH range of 1-9. Light, oxygen, and temperature do not affect this ingredient.
The chemical name for this ingredient is Tetrahydromethylpyrimidine Carboxylic Acid.
Learn more about EctoinGlycerin (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 GlycerinWater. 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 WaterXanthan gum is used as a stabilizer and thickener within cosmetic products. It helps give products a sticky, thick feeling - preventing them from being too runny.
On the technical side of things, xanthan gum is a polysaccharide - a combination consisting of multiple sugar molecules bonded together.
Xanthan gum is a pretty common and great ingredient. It is a natural, non-toxic, non-irritating ingredient that is also commonly used in food products.
Learn more about Xanthan Gum
