What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Pentylene Glycol
Skin ConditioningNiacinamide
Smoothing
Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone
Emollient
Trideceth-9
EmulsifyingGlycerin
Humectant
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
PEG-5 Isononanoate
EmulsifyingSodium Hyaluronate
Humectant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Panthenol
Skin Conditioning
Caprylyl Glycol
Emollient
Bisabolol
Masking
Citrus Limon Fruit Extract
Masking
Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningPassiflora Edulis Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningVitis Vinifera Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCarica Papaya Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningCitrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract
Skin Conditioning
Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract
Skin ConditioningParfum
Masking
Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
Emulsion StabilisingSilica
Abrasive
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Phenylethyl Resorcinol
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Sodium Bisulfite
Antioxidant
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingTrehalose
Humectant
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Chlorphenesin
Antimicrobial
Potassium Sorbate
Preservative
Sodium Benzoate
Masking
Limonene
Perfuming
Linalool
Perfuming
Water, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Niacinamide, Bis-PEG-12 Dimethicone, Trideceth-9, Glycerin, Polysorbate 20, PEG-5 Isononanoate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Panthenol, Caprylyl Glycol, Bisabolol, Citrus Limon Fruit Extract, Ananas Sativus Fruit Extract, Passiflora Edulis Fruit Extract, Vitis Vinifera Fruit Extract, Carica Papaya Fruit Extract, Citrullus Lanatus Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica Fruit Extract, Parfum, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Silica, Alcohol Denat., Phenylethyl Resorcinol, Disodium EDTA, Sodium Bisulfite, Sodium Hydroxide, Trehalose, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Limonene, Linalool
Salicylic Acid
Masking
Water
Skin ConditioningAlcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Propanediol
Solvent
Glycolic Acid
Buffering
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingCapryloyl Glycine
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Benzyl Alcohol
Perfuming
PPG-26-Buteth-26
Skin ConditioningPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Menthol
Masking
Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide
Emulsion Stabilising
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract
Skin ConditioningScutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
AstringentSalicylic Acid, Water, Alcohol Denat., Propanediol, Glycolic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Capryloyl Glycine, Phenoxyethanol, Benzyl Alcohol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Menthol, Tremella Fuciformis Polysaccharide, Butylene Glycol, Ophiopogon Japonicus Root Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract
Reviews
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Alcohol Denat. is an alcohol with a denaturant property. It is created by mixing ethanol with other additives.
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying - mostly due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue, constricting pores and leaving your skin dried out.
However, alcohol denat. is not all that bad.
Due to its low molecular weight, alcohol denat. tends to evaporate quickly. One study on pig skin found half of applied alcohol evaporated in 10 seconds and less than 3% stayed on skin.
This also helps other ingredients become better absorbed upon application.
Studies are conflicted about whether this ingredient causes skin dehydration. One study from 2005 found adding emollients to propanol-based sanitizer decreased skin dryness and irritation. Another study found irritation only occurs if your skin is already damaged.
Small amounts of alcohol are generally tolerated by oily skin or people who live in humid environments.
The rule of thumb is if this alcohol is near the end of an ingredients list, it will probably not affect your skin much.
Also...
This ingredient has antimicrobial and solvent properties.
The antimicrobial property helps preserve products and increase their shelf life. As a solvent, it helps dissolve other ingredients.
Other types of astringent alcohols include:
Learn more about Alcohol Denat.Butylene Glycol (or BG) is used within cosmetic products for a few different reasons:
Overall, Butylene Glycol is a safe and well-rounded ingredient that works well with other ingredients.
Though this ingredient works well with most skin types, some people with sensitive skin may experience a reaction such as allergic rashes, closed comedones, or itchiness.
Learn more about Butylene GlycolPhenoxyethanol 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.
Sodium 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. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about Water
