What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Diglycerin
Humectant
Propylene Glycol Butyl Ether
HumectantMilk Ferment
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Extract
Skin ConditioningPotassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Acrylic Acid
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Carbomer
Emulsion StabilisingDiethylenetriamine Pentamethylene Phosphonic Acid
Stearic Acid
Cleansing
Cetearyl Alcohol
Emollient
Betaine
Humectant
Methicone
Emollient
Glycol Stearate
Emollient
Polysorbate 20
Emulsifying
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Glyceryl Stearate Se
Emulsifying
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingHydrogenated Lecithin
Emulsifying
Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil
Abrasive
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Arbutin, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Water, Butylene Glycol, Glycerin, Squalane, Diglycerin, Propylene Glycol Butyl Ether, Milk Ferment, Glycine Soja Extract, Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate, Acrylic Acid, Alcohol, Carbomer, Diethylenetriamine Pentamethylene Phosphonic Acid, Stearic Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Betaine, Methicone, Glycol Stearate, Polysorbate 20, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrogenated Lecithin, Hydrogenated Jojoba Oil, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
Humectant
Water
Skin ConditioningPotassium Cocoyl Glycinate
Surfactant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Sorbitol
Humectant
Glycerin
Humectant
Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
CleansingGlycine Soja Germ Extract
EmollientGlycine Soja Extract
Skin ConditioningMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Disodium EDTA
Alcohol
Antimicrobial
Sodium Lauroyl Methylaminopropionate
CleansingPotassium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate, Water, Potassium Cocoyl Glycinate, Butylene Glycol, Sorbitol, Glycerin, Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate, Glycine Soja Germ Extract, Glycine Soja Extract, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Disodium EDTA, Alcohol, Sodium Lauroyl Methylaminopropionate, Potassium Hydroxide, 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.
This ingredient is also called ethanol or ethyl alcohol. It is denatured, meaning made undrinkable for cosmetic use.
In formulas, it:
Is it bad for your skin?
The answer comes down to concentration. Patch and wash studies have found highly concentrated alcohol-based hand rubs (60-100%) cause less barrier disruption than washing with a basic detergent like SLS. The only measurable effect in these studies was a temporary dip in skin hydration.
Concentrations below 12-15% in leave-on cosmetics is generally well-tolerated. Concentrations above start to see increased transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and reduced hydration.
In concentrations about 58%, it creates temporary channels in your skin's lipid layers to become more permeable and allow other ingredients to slip through easily.
This ingredient can be up to 80% of the formula in alcohol-based perfumes.
Overall, this ingredient is probably harmless if found lower down an ingredients list but worth side-eyeing if it's high up (especially if your barrier is already struggling).
Alcohol can worsen dry skin, eczema, and oily skin, especially at higher concentrations. This is because it can increase transepidermal water loss and decrease hydration to disrupt the skin barrier.
According to the National Rosacea Society based in the US, you should be mindful of products with these alcohols in the top half of ingredients.
True allergic contact dermatitis to ethanol is uncommon, but be sure to patch test if you have dry or sensitive skin.
Learn more about AlcoholButylene 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 GlycerinThis ingredient comes from the wild soybean. It has skin conditioning and moisturizing properties due to its interesting bioactive compounds.
The two key bioactive compounds like genistein, daidzein, soybean trypsin inhibitor, Bowman-Birk inhibitor, and phenolic acids give it a broad range of studied effects.
Studies have shown soy proteins can inhibit melanin transfer to the skin's surface to potentially help with uneven skin tone. There's also some in-vitro evidence that soybean extract stimulate collagen and elastin synthesis. A 2025 mouse study found Glycine Soja leaf/stem extract reduced markers of atopic dermatitis-like inflammation and improved skin barrier function.
Just remember this ingredient still lacks robust human clinical trials. However, it would be a great supportive ingredient in any routine unless you have a known soy allergy.
Learn more about Glycine Soja ExtractMagnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate (MAP) is a water-soluble form of Vitamin C. It is used in skincare because it tends to be more formulation friendly than pure vitamin C (ascorbic acid).
According to research, MAP has three major benefits:
While MAP is gentler on the skin than ascorbic acid, it is thought to be less easily absorbed into the skin.
In a well-known absorption study, pure vitamin C increased skin vitamin C levels when formulated correctly, but derivatives like MAP did not in that experiment. This suggests MAP may not always convert into active vitamin C in the skin.
Due to MAP's stability up to a pH level of 7, it is more stable to air and sunlight exposure than ascorbic acid. The best pH range for MAP is between 5 and 6.
Learn more about Magnesium Ascorbyl PhosphatePhenoxyethanol 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
