What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantLactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment
HumectantGlycine Soja Extract
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Citric Acid
Buffering
Sodium Citrate
BufferingStyrene/Va Copolymer
Polyethylene
Abrasive
Polyglyceryl-3 Hydroxypropyl Ethylhexyl Ether
CleansingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Sodium Paraben
Preservative
Arbutin, Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Water, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment, Glycine Soja Extract, Butylene Glycol, Alcohol Denat., Citric Acid, Sodium Citrate, Styrene/Va Copolymer, Polyethylene, Polyglyceryl-3 Hydroxypropyl Ethylhexyl Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Paraben
Niacinamide
Smoothing
Water
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Betaine
Humectant
Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate
Skin ConditioningRetinol
Skin Conditioning
N-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine
Skin ConditioningCyclodextrin
AbsorbentCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingEthylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningGlyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Gellan Gum
Glycine Soja Seed Extract
Skin Conditioning
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Phytosterols
Skin Conditioning
Ceteth-8 Phosphate
CleansingPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
Sorbitan Isostearate
Emulsifying
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Potassium Oxide
BufferingSodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Niacinamide, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, Alcohol, Betaine, Lactobacillus/Soymilk Ferment Filtrate, Retinol, N-Stearoyl-Dihydrosphingosine, Cyclodextrin, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Glyceryl Stearate, Gellan Gum, Glycine Soja Seed Extract, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Phytosterols, Ceteth-8 Phosphate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sorbitan Isostearate, Polysorbate 20, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Phenoxyethanol
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
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 GlycolGlycerin (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 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.
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 Water
