What's inside
What's inside
Key Ingredients
Benefits
Concerns
Ingredients Side-by-side
Water
Skin ConditioningGlycerin
Humectant
Butylene Glycol
Humectant
Squalane
Emollient
Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate
Skin Conditioning
Behenyl Alcohol
Emollient
Pvp
Emulsion StabilisingPentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate
Emollient
PEG-150
HumectantDimethicone
Emollient
Pentylene Glycol
Skin Conditioning
Beeswax
Emulsion Stabilising
Dipentaerythrityl Tri-Polyhydroxystearate
Emollient
PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate
Surfactant
Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil
Emollient
Glyceryl Stearate
Emollient
Trimethylsiloxysilicate
Emollient
Retinol
Skin Conditioning
Retinyl Palmitate
Skin Conditioning
Milk Ferment
Skin ConditioningSoy Isoflavones
Skin ConditioningGlycine Max Seed Extract
Skin ConditioningCeramide Ng
Skin Conditioning
Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Dipropylene Glycol
HumectantPEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
Emulsifying
PPG-4-Ceteth-20
EmulsifyingSodium Ascorbate
Antioxidant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Ethylhexylglycerin
Skin ConditioningCarbomer
Emulsion StabilisingXanthan Gum
EmulsifyingZea Mays Oil
Emulsifying
Tocopherol
Antioxidant
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
Masking
Polysorbate 80
Emulsifying
Inulin Lauryl Carbamate
Emulsion StabilisingLecithin
Emollient
Sodium Hydroxide
BufferingPhenoxyethanol
Preservative
Methylparaben
Preservative
Water, Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, Squalane, Dipentaerythrityl Tetrahydroxystearate/Tetraisostearate, Behenyl Alcohol, Pvp, Pentaerythrityl Tetraethylhexanoate, PEG-150, Dimethicone, Pentylene Glycol, Beeswax, Dipentaerythrityl Tri-Polyhydroxystearate, PEG-60 Glyceryl Isostearate, Macadamia Ternifolia Seed Oil, Glyceryl Stearate, Trimethylsiloxysilicate, Retinol, Retinyl Palmitate, Milk Ferment, Soy Isoflavones, Glycine Max Seed Extract, Ceramide Ng, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Dipropylene Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PPG-4-Ceteth-20, Sodium Ascorbate, Alcohol Denat., Ethylhexylglycerin, Carbomer, Xanthan Gum, Zea Mays Oil, Tocopherol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Polysorbate 80, Inulin Lauryl Carbamate, Lecithin, Sodium Hydroxide, Phenoxyethanol, Methylparaben
Arbutin
Antioxidant
Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate
Skin ConditioningWater
Skin ConditioningButylene Glycol
Humectant
PEG-8 Dimethicone
Emulsifying
PEG/PPG-32/8 Tetramethyl Ether Pentaerythritol
HumectantCetyl Ethylhexanoate
EmollientPEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone
Emulsifying
Milk Ferment
Skin ConditioningGlycine Soja Extract
Skin ConditioningTocopherol
Antioxidant
Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate
Antioxidant
Alcohol Denat.
Antimicrobial
Sodium Chloride
MaskingPolysilicone-1 Crosspolymer
Skin Conditioning
Phenoxyethanol
Preservative
Arbutin, Stearyl Glycyrrhetinate, Water, Butylene Glycol, PEG-8 Dimethicone, PEG/PPG-32/8 Tetramethyl Ether Pentaerythritol, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate, PEG-9 Polydimethylsiloxyethyl Dimethicone, Milk Ferment, Glycine Soja Extract, Tocopherol, Sodium Tocopheryl Phosphate, Potassium Ascorbyl Tocopheryl Phosphate, Alcohol Denat., Sodium Chloride, Polysilicone-1 Crosspolymer, Phenoxyethanol
Reviews
Alternatives
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.
The "denat" part just means "denatured"; common denaturants include Denatonium Benzoate, t-butyl alcohol, and Diethyl Phthalate. This step makes the alcohol undrinkable (and lets brand skip taxes related to beverage alcohol).
This ingredient gets a bad rep because it is irritating and drying due to its astringent property. Astringents draw out natural oils in tissue to constrict pores and dry out your skin.
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 this ingredient will probably not affect your skin much if it is near the end of an ingredients list.
One thing to note:
People with ALDH2 (aldehyde dehydrogenase 2) deficiency may experience skin irritation from continued alcohol use. About 8% of the world's population have this deficiency.
The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel has determined denatured alcohols to be safe for use in concentrations between 0.05% and 12% (depending on which denaturant is used).
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.
Look for formulas that contain glycerin, hyaluronic acid, or panthenol if you want to offset any drying effect.
This ingredient will trip away your skin's natural oils/lipids that help it lock in moisture. This can worsen dryness, trigger eczema flare-ups, and aggravate rosacea.
Be sure to patch test any product with this ingredient if you have dry or sensitive skin, eczema, or rosacea.
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 GlycolWe don't have a description for Milk Ferment yet.
Phenoxyethanol 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 Tocopheryl Phosphate is an antioxidant.
Tocopherol is a fat-soluble antioxidant known as Vitamin E.
You'll find this ingredient in the vast majority of skincare (for good reason). It works to neutralize free radicals, or unstable molecules generated by UV exposure, pollution, and other environmental stressors, before they can cause oxidative damage to your skin cells.
Topically applied tocopherol has been shown to protect against UV damage by ramping up the skin's own natural defense enzymes.
It also acts as a skin conditioning agent; some studies show that regular topical use can improve the skin's water-binding capacity over 2-4 weeks.
This ingredient is especially loved for being a team player. When combined with Vitamin C, the photoprotective effect of both ingredients roughly doubles and the combo also helps reduce UV-induced DNA damage.
This ingredient has some brightening potential but it's more of a prevention ingredient than spot-fader. Cell studies show it can slow down melanin production but it's worth noting that it's not the most powerful brightener out there.
In formulations, it also serves as a stabilizer that helps protect other oxidation-prone ingredients from degrading.
Concentrations usually range from 0.1-1% in most leave-on products.
Learn more about TocopherolWater. 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
