What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Succinic Acid
BufferingPanthenol
Skin Conditioning
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Acetyl Hexapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Biosaccharide Gum-1
Humectant
Sodium Levulinate
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Caprylate
EmollientSodium Gluconate
Skin ConditioningCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Anisate
AntimicrobialSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater
Skin ConditioningPropylene Glycol
Humectant
Isostearyl Isostearate
Emollient
Ethyl Olivate
Emollient
Dimethyl Isosorbide
SolventGlycerin
Humectant
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Saccharide Isomerate
Humectant
Jojoba Esters
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax
Skin Conditioning
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
O-Cymen-5-Ol
Antimicrobial
Xanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate
CleansingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Polyglycerin-3
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
Buffering
Water, Propylene Glycol, Isostearyl Isostearate, Ethyl Olivate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycerin, Triheptanoin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Squalane, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Bisabolol, Saccharide Isomerate, Jojoba Esters, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus Seed Wax, Tocopherol, O-Cymen-5-Ol, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate, Caprylyl Glycol, Polyglycerin-3, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Citrate, Citric 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.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, skin conditioner, emollient, and preservative booster derived from either caprylic acid or synthetically created.
Typical use levels vary from 0.3-1% as a preservative booster and go up to 2% to condition skin.
Because it is not a free-fatty acid or alcohol, this ingredient is fungal acne safe (there's nothing for Malassezia to feed on).
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolEthylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPropylene Glycol is a synthetic, colorless, odorless liquid that has been a staple in cosmetics for decades. It is a skin conditioning agent, humectant, and solvent.
As a humectant, it draw water to the skin to reduce flaking and restore suppleness. It's also a solvent that helps dissolve other actives and keeps formulas stable across temperature changes.
The CIR Expert Panel has confirmed this ingredient to be nontoxic and clinical studies show no sensitization at cosmetic use concentrations.
True allergic reactions are quite rare: a 15-year retrospective study of 6,751 patients found only 0.31% had a positive reaction (and less than half were considered clinically relevant).
It seemed that when sensitization does occur, it's most commonly linked to topical medication (like corticosteroids) and not cosmetics. Allergic contact dermatitis also appears largely limited to individuals with underlying skin conditions.
Overall, propylene glycol is a well-studied ingredient that most people can tolerate without issue.
Learn more about Propylene GlycolWater. 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
