What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
Emollient
Myristyl Myristate
Emollient
Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Triheptanoin
Skin ConditioningCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Myristyl Laurate
SurfactantOryzanol
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
Emollient
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningVaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil
Skin Conditioning
Bisabolol
Antioxidant
Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil
Emollient
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingHippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil
Masking
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil
Masking
Cinnamomum Camphora Linalooliferum Leaf Oil
Perfuming
Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil
Masking
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Dehydroacetate
Preservative
Pueraria Lobata Symbiosome Extract
Antioxidant
Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract
Skin Conditioning
Cassia Alata Leaf Extract
AstringentCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
Masking
Glucose
Humectant
Parfum
Masking
Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialLactic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCitronellol
Perfuming
Geraniol
Perfuming
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Cetearyl Alcohol, Camellia Oleifera Seed Oil, Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate, Myristyl Myristate, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Triheptanoin, Cetearyl Glucoside, Myristyl Laurate, Oryzanol, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Ethylhexylglycerin, Vaccinium Macrocarpon Seed Oil, Bisabolol, Ribes Nigrum Seed Oil, Carbomer, Hippophae Rhamnoides Fruit Extract, Citrus Nobilis Peel Oil, Tocopherol, Anthemis Nobilis Flower Oil, Cinnamomum Camphora Linalooliferum Leaf Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Dehydroacetate, Pueraria Lobata Symbiosome Extract, Laminaria Ochroleuca Extract, Cassia Alata Leaf Extract, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Glucose, Parfum, Rosmarinus Officinalis Leaf Extract, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Citronellol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool
Water
Skin ConditioningDimethicone
Emollient
Glycerin
Humectant
Cetearyl Olivate
Polyacrylamide
Sorbitan Olivate
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Synthetic Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
C13-14 Isoparaffin
Emollient
Dimethiconol
Emollient
Dimethicone Crosspolymer
Emulsion Stabilising
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Laureth-7
EmulsifyingCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningC12-14 Pareth-12
EmulsifyingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingWater, Dimethicone, Glycerin, Cetearyl Olivate, Polyacrylamide, Sorbitan Olivate, Phenoxyethanol, Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Synthetic Beeswax, C13-14 Isoparaffin, Dimethiconol, Dimethicone Crosspolymer, Chlorphenesin, Laureth-7, Carbomer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Ethylhexylglycerin, C12-14 Pareth-12, Sodium Hydroxide
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Carbomer is a synthetic thickening and gelling agent. It's basically the ingredient that gives a lot of serums, gels, creams, and sunscreens their smooth, non-sticky texture.
Although legally permitted at very high levels, carbomers are normally used at concentrations below 1%.
It also needs to be neutralized to actually thicken, and because it is a large molecule, it doesn't really penetrate the skin barrier.
Allergy-wise, the risk is very low. Clinical studies show carbomers have low potential for skin irritation/sensitization even at concentrations up to 100%.
A 2024 UK study patch-tested 1,302 patients and found true allergy to the parent group of carbomer to be rare with no confirmed relevant reactions.
Learn more about CarbomerEthylhexylglycerin 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 PhenoxyethanolSodium Hydroxide is also known as lye or caustic soda. It is used to adjust the pH of products; many ingredients require a specific pH to be effective.
In small amounts, sodium hydroxide is considered safe to use. However, large amounts may cause chemical burns due to its high alkaline.
Your skin has a natural pH and acid mantle. This acid mantle helps prevent harmful bacteria from breaking through. The acid mantle also helps keep your skin hydrated.
"Alkaline" refers to a high pH level. A low pH level would be considered acidic.
Learn more about Sodium HydroxideWater. 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
