What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Betaine
Humectant
Sodium Salicylate
Preservative
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Inulin
Skin Conditioning
Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
Cleansing
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Propylene Glycol
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Arctium Lappa Root Extract
Skin Conditioning
Nasturtium Officinale Extract
Perfuming
Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract
CleansingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingTriethanolamine
BufferingParfum
Masking
Disodium EDTA
Citric Acid
Buffering
Water, Glycerin, Betaine, Sodium Salicylate, Alcohol Denat., Niacinamide, Inulin, Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide, Panthenol, Propylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Arctium Lappa Root Extract, Nasturtium Officinale Extract, Salvia Officinalis Leaf Extract, Xanthan Gum, Triethanolamine, Parfum, Disodium EDTA, 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.
Disodium EDTA is a chelating agent. It grabs onto and deactivates metal ions that sneak into your products from water, packaging, or air.
This ingredient mainly works behind the scenes and helps with:
On top of that, this ingredient can counteract the effects of hard water by binding to the minerals in it.
One thing worth knowing is that Disodium EDTA has been shown to be a mild penetration enhancer. It can help other ingredients absorb into skin more effectively which can be a double-edged sword (great for actives, but can also make the active too strong if you have sensitive skin).
Clinical patch testing showed no significant skin irritation at typical use concentrations and minimal dermal absorption.
You'll most likely see this ingredient near the end of an ingredient list. It's typically found in concentrations less than 1%.
Learn more about Disodium EDTAPhenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.
It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.
Propylene 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 GlycolThis ingredient is the sodium salt of salicylic acid, the famous anti-acne ingredient.
Officially, this ingredient is used as a preservative. However, some studies found Sodium Salicylate to have exfoliating properties. Further studies are needed.
Water. 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
