What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin Conditioning
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Avena Sativa Kernel Flour
Abrasive
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
Emollient
Squalane
Emollient
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer
Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingC15-19 Alkane
SolventCetearyl Glucoside
Emulsifying
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Disodium EDTA
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPolyglyceryl-6 Laurate
Emulsifying
Fructose
Humectant
Urea
Buffering
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPolyglycerin-6
HumectantMaltose
MaskingSodium PCA
Humectant
Sodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Lactate
Buffering
Trehalose
Humectant
Allantoin
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide NP
Skin Conditioning
Glucose
Humectant
2,3-Butanediol
HumectantHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Sodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
Skin Conditioning
Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine
Skin Conditioning
Magnesium Chloride
Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate
Skin ConditioningCholesterol
Emollient
Ceramide AP
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide As
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide Ns
Skin Conditioning
Ceramide EOP
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Glyceryl Stearate, Avena Sativa Kernel Flour, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Squalane, Phenoxyethanol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/Vp Copolymer, Sodium Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, C15-19 Alkane, Cetearyl Glucoside, Pentylene Glycol, Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Polyglyceryl-6 Laurate, Fructose, Urea, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Polyglycerin-6, Maltose, Sodium PCA, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Lactate, Trehalose, Allantoin, Ceramide NP, Glucose, 2,3-Butanediol, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Sodium Hyaluronate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5, Palmitoyl Dipeptide-5 Diaminobutyroyl Hydroxythreonine, Magnesium Chloride, Tetradecyl Aminobutyroylvalylaminobutyric Urea Trifluoroacetate, Cholesterol, Ceramide AP, Ceramide As, Ceramide Ns, Ceramide EOP
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Betaine
Humectant
Diheptyl Succinate
EmollientInulin
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
Emulsion StabilisingPentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Propanediol
Solvent
Tromethamine
BufferingCaprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer
Skin ConditioningEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
Antimicrobial
Polysorbate 60
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Acetyl Hexapeptide-1
Skin Conditioning
Water, Glycerin, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Betaine, Diheptyl Succinate, Inulin, Phenoxyethanol, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Tromethamine, Caprylyl Glycol, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Capryloyl Glycerin/Sebacic Acid Copolymer, Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Polysorbate 60, Sorbitan Isostearate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-1
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Ethylhexylglycerin 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 GlycerinPentylene Glycol (1,2-pentanediol) is a multitasking little diol with three main roles in a formula:
Research on alkanediols (the family pentylene glycol belongs to) show they work by disrupting microbial cell membranes. This disruption helps the primary preservative system in a product work more effectively at lower doses.
On the safety side, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has concluded this ingredient to be safe as used in current cosmetic practices + concentrations.
Typical use levels in a formula run about 1-5%.
Learn more about Pentylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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
