What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
HumectantDimethicone
EmollientPropanediol
SolventCetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
HumectantBis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone
EmollientButylene Glycol
HumectantCaffeine
Skin ConditioningBiotin
AntiseborrhoeicPalmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Aspartate
Skin ConditioningPalmitoyl Tripeptide-1
Skin ConditioningZinc Gluconate
Skin ConditioningChrysin
Skin ConditioningN-Hydroxysuccinimide
Skin ConditioningCopper Gluconate
Skin ConditioningSteareth-20
CleansingMethyl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer
Chlorhexidine Digluconate
AntimicrobialCaprylyl Glycol
EmollientChlorphenesin
AntimicrobialPotassium Sorbate
PreservativePhenoxyethanol
PreservativeSodium Chloride
MaskingSodium Citrate
BufferingCitric Acid
BufferingWater, Glycerin, Dimethicone, Propanediol, Cetyl PEG/PPG-10/1 Dimethicone, Sodium Hyaluronate, Bis-PEG/PPG-14/14 Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Caffeine, Biotin, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Magnesium Aspartate, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Zinc Gluconate, Chrysin, N-Hydroxysuccinimide, Copper Gluconate, Steareth-20, Methyl Methacrylate/Glycol Dimethacrylate Crosspolymer, Chlorhexidine Digluconate, Caprylyl Glycol, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid
Water
Skin ConditioningAloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
Skin ConditioningHelianthus Annuus Seed Oil
EmollientIsopropyl Palmitate
EmollientCetyl Alcohol
EmollientGlyceryl Stearate Se
EmulsifyingGlycerin
HumectantStearic Acid
CleansingNiacinamide
SmoothingSodium Lactate
BufferingHyaluronic Acid
HumectantCamellia Sinensis Leaf Extract
AntimicrobialAvena Sativa Kernel Extract
AbrasiveCentella Asiatica Extract
CleansingEquisetum Arvense Extract
AstringentPelargonium Graveolens Extract
MaskingTaraxacum Officinale Extract
Skin ConditioningArnica Montana Flower Oil
PerfumingCalendula Officinalis Flower Extract
MaskingChamomilla Recutita Extract
Skin ConditioningLavandula Angustifolia Extract
Skin ConditioningCocos Nucifera Oil
MaskingSimmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil
EmollientRosa Canina Seed Oil
EmollientBoswellia Carterii Oil
MaskingCalophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil
AntimicrobialMacadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
EmollientBorago Officinalis Seed Oil
EmollientLinum Usitatissimum Seed Oil
PerfumingOenothera Biennis Oil
EmollientPelargonium Graveolens Leaf Oil
Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter
EmollientButyrospermum Parkii Butter
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
AntioxidantAspartic Acid
MaskingArginine
MaskingPCA
HumectantGlycine
BufferingAlanine
MaskingSerine
MaskingValine
MaskingIsoleucine
Skin ConditioningProline
Skin ConditioningThreonine
Histidine
HumectantPhenylalanine
MaskingPanthenol
Skin ConditioningBeeswax
Emulsion StabilisingSodium PCA
HumectantXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingGlyceryl Stearate
EmollientPotassium Stearate
CleansingEthylhexyl Palmitate
EmollientAlcohol
AntimicrobialSodium Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingPotassium Sorbate
PreservativeSodium Benzoate
MaskingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningPhenoxyethanol
PreservativeWater, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Helianthus Annuus Seed Oil, Isopropyl Palmitate, Cetyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Niacinamide, Sodium Lactate, Hyaluronic Acid, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract, Avena Sativa Kernel Extract, Centella Asiatica Extract, Equisetum Arvense Extract, Pelargonium Graveolens Extract, Taraxacum Officinale Extract, Arnica Montana Flower Oil, Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Chamomilla Recutita Extract, Lavandula Angustifolia Extract, Cocos Nucifera Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis Seed Oil, Rosa Canina Seed Oil, Boswellia Carterii Oil, Calophyllum Inophyllum Seed Oil, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Borago Officinalis Seed Oil, Linum Usitatissimum Seed Oil, Oenothera Biennis Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Leaf Oil, Theobroma Cacao Seed Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii Butter, Tocopherol, Aspartic Acid, Arginine, PCA, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Panthenol, Beeswax, Sodium PCA, Xanthan Gum, Glyceryl Stearate, Potassium Stearate, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Alcohol, Sodium Carbomer, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Glycerin (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 PhenoxyethanolPotassium Sorbate is a preservative used to prevent yeast and mold in products. It is commonly found in both cosmetic and food products.
This ingredient comes from potassium salt derived from sorbic acid. Sorbic acid is a natural antibiotic and effective against fungus.
Both potassium sorbate and sorbic acid can be found in baked goods, cheeses, dried meats, dried fruit, ice cream, pickles, wine, yogurt, and more.
You'll often find this ingredient used with other preservatives.
Learn more about Potassium SorbateWater. 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